From China to the United Arab Emirates to Britain, Indonesia has been scouring the world for potential vaccines against the coronavirus while ramping up local output and carrying out human vaccine trials at home to tackle the spread of the infectious disease.
At 404,048 confirmed infections and 13,701 deaths as of Thursday (Oct 29), Indonesia's record is South-east Asia's worst on both counts.
With each person requiring two doses, officials have estimated 340 million doses of vaccine are needed next year to inoculate about 160 million of the country's 270 million population, which is also the world's fourth-largest.
Following ministerial trips to China and the UAE in August, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the government has inked deals to procure 20 million to 30 million doses by the year end, and 290 million to 340 million doses next year.
A trip to London this month further secured a pledge of 100 million doses from UK-based pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to be delivered next year.
At home, local pharmaceutical companies have teamed up with foreign partners to carry out human clinical trials of candidate vaccines, with the country setting its sights on producing its own vaccines next year.
However, the government's push for a national Covid-19 vaccination programme using yet-to-be proven vaccines has drawn flak from local medical experts and the public.
"Vaccination is an important programme but it must not be carried out in a hurry," the Indonesian Medical Association said in a statement to Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto.
The Lancet medical journal on Sept 10 published what it touted to be the "largest study of global vaccine confidence" across 149 countries, and reported that Indonesia "witnessed large drops in confidence" in vaccine safety, importance and effectiveness.
President Joko Widodo has since put the brakes on the plan to vaccinate 9.1 million people as early as next month. On Monday, he ordered his Cabinet to ensure vaccine safety and effectiveness.
"Safety means that all vaccinations to be administered must have undergone proper clinical trials," he said.
"Be careful. In our rush to vaccinate, please don't overlook scientific data and health standards."
A presidential regulation was issued on Oct 5 spelling out requirements for the vaccination programme, from procurement of vaccines and implementation to financing and other government support required to get it going.
Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto, who heads the Covid-19 handling committee, told reporters that the state has allocated 3.8 trillion rupiah (S$352 million) for vaccines from the 2020 budget and 18 trillion rupiah from the 2021 budget.
The government has plans to administer vaccines to six priority groups including health workers, soldiers, police and public servants.
