Jakarta The Health Ministry will use the regular distribution channel for delivering the booster or third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to 21 million recipients, COVID-19 vaccination spokesperson Siti Nadia Tarmizi informed here on Saturday.

The distribution stage will be carried out by state-owned vaccine manufacturer PT Bio Farma, she said.

Production will be carried out after the vaccines receive emergency-use authorization (EUA) from the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM), she added.

Bio Farma will distribute the vaccines by utilizing a special armada capable of keeping an ideal cold chain temperature of 2–8 degrees Celsius at special vaccine storage facilities in each province, she said.

A vaccine is a biological product that is vulnerable if left at certain temperatures, she noted. Hence, distributing and storing them requires special facilities, she explained.

According to Tarmizi, once the vaccines reach the vaccination center, local regional governments will continue the distribution process by utilizing cold boxes that can maintain a temperature of 2–8 degrees Celsius.

The next step will involve preparing the vaccines for the people, she said. Ideally, a booster vaccination needs to be administered after a six-month interval of completing the primary vaccination dose, she added.

Concerning the technical guidelines, including the dosage, Tarmizi said that the ministry is still awaiting the results of the clinical trial from the Indonesian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (ITAGI).

Source: Antara News