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Poor communication haunts TB vaccine trial
Some Indonesian netizens oppose the clinical trial of a tuberculosis (TB) vaccine candidate in Indonesia, whose development has been supported by the Gates Foundation. They claim that the state is selling people as "lab rats" for the philanthropist’s agenda.
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A woman and her children undergo a tuberculosis (TB) screening on May 14, 2025, at a community health center (Puskesmas) in Bandung, West Java. The Health Ministry has launched several initiatives to treat TB, focusing on screening, treatment and prevention, with around Rp 2.4 trillion (US$145 million) earmarked for the measures. (Antara/Abdan Syakura)
A
n ongoing clinical trial for a tuberculosis (TB) vaccine candidate in Indonesia has been met with rising public criticism, especially on social media, which experts attribute to unclear communication from health authorities surrounding the program.
Indonesia was selected as one of the countries to host the third phase of clinical trials for TB vaccine candidate M72/AS01E to assess the efficacy of the substance developed by London-based pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). The vaccine’s development is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which was cofounded by American philanthropist and Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates and his wife at the time.
Along with African countries such as South Africa, Kenya, Zambia and Malawi, around 20,000 participants were selected for this round of the clinical trial, which kicked off in September 2024.
In Indonesia, 2,095 people aged 15 to 44 were picked to receive M72 from last September to April. The testing is being conducted by researchers in five clinical centers approved by the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM), namely the University of Indonesia Hospital and School of Medicine, Persahabatan Central General Hospital, Cempaka Putih Islamic Hospital and Padjadjaran University’s Medicine School in Bandung, West Java.
The news about the vaccine candidate resurfaced recently when Gates visited Jakarta on May 7 and discussed several collaboration projects with President Prabowo Subianto, including the Gates Foundation’s funding of the TB vaccine clinical trial in Indonesia.
After the Prabowo-Gates meeting, Indonesian netizens quickly took to social media to express their concerns and rejections of the trial. Some accused the country of being used as a “lab rat” for the philanthropist’s agenda to “control the world”.
Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin repeatedly reassured the public about the safety of the vaccine trial.
