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Indonesian government promises big, then falters in vaccine procurement
As a widely predicted shortage of COVID-19 vaccines hits global supply chains, Indonesians may have to wait a little longer for their turn to be rid of the novel coronavirus.
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Elderly people sit distanced from one another as they wait their turn for a pre-COVID-19 vaccination screening at a community health center (Puseksmas) in Palmerah, West Jakarta, on Feb. 25. The government aims to inoculate some 21 million people aged 60 and above, but global supply shortages threaten to delay vaccine deliveries to Indonesia and elsewhere. (JP/Ardila Syakriah)
F
or months, the government promised the people of Indonesia that it would secure hundreds of millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines from various international partners.
Its timely vaccine diplomacy made Indonesia among the first few countries in Asia to get a head start on its vaccination drive – and supporters of the state were quick to remind any detractors of this fact.
But as the reality of the recent embargo-induced global shortage of vaccines slowly sinks in, the government can no longer deny that Indonesians might have to wait longer than promised for their jabs, if only because of a growing sense of protectionism among vaccine-producing countries.
The nation is slowing down its vaccine roll-out to account for limited supplies following shipment delays of 10 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine via the multilateral COVAX-GAVI fair distribution facility. It also faces possible delayed deliveries for a further 30 million doses in a separate bilateral arrangement with the producer.
The government is mitigating these potentially lost doses by negotiating to secure between 90 million and 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from China. It has put the blame on other countries, although experts have been warning of possible shortages for months.
"The world’s vaccine-producing countries are very protectionist," Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said during a virtual discussion on Tuesday.
Budi revealed in a meeting with members of the House of Representatives Commission IX overseeing health care and manpower on Thursday that AstraZeneca Indonesia would only be able to deliver 20 million of the promised 50 million doses this year, starting from June.
