Jakarta: The Ministry of Health aims to develop 15 vaccine antigens domestically by 2029 as part of efforts to achieve vaccine self-reliance before the end of President Prabowo Subianto’s term.
Currently, Indonesia produces only four of the 15 antigens it uses to manufacture 13 different vaccines, relying on imports to cover the remaining components.
“We have been importing antigens from China and India,” Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin explained.
The reliance on imported antigens, he said, highlighted gaps in Indonesia’s vaccine technology capabilities. Budi called for the development of domestic viral vector and mRNA technologies to strengthen the country’s vaccine development capacity.
To accelerate technology transfer, the Ministry of Health plans to coordinate with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), industry players, and other partners.
“Research and development will allow us to manufacture our own products. It will not only enable us to achieve self-reliance but also create added value for the national economy,” Budi remarked.
“If there was a silver lining to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was that it showed us we could accelerate vaccine development. There is no reason to doubt that we will achieve our goals on time,” Budi added.
(Jonathan Sianto)
Health Minister Targets Domestic Production of 15 Vaccine Antigens by 2029
