The COVID-19 vaccine is available in Indonesia. The government has started a vaccination program as an effort to break the chain of the spread of the Corona virus infection and suppress the number of COVID-19 cases, which is still increasing. As your guide, here is some information about the COVID-19 vaccine that you need to know.
About Vaccines and Things You Need to Know
What is a vaccine?
Vaccines are substances or compounds that function to form immunity against a disease. Vaccine content can be in the form of bacteria or viruses that have been weakened or killed, or part of the bacteria or viruses.
Vaccines can be given in the form of injections, oral drops, or through steam (aerosol).
Is it necessary to vaccinate?
Vaccination is the process of administering vaccines into the body. When a person has received a vaccine for a disease, his body can quickly form antibodies to fight the germs or viruses that cause the disease when he is exposed to it.
Therefore, vaccination is important as a form of self-protection against disease, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What is the difference between vaccination and immunization?
Immunization is the process of forming immune substances (antibodies) against certain diseases after a person is vaccinated. In order for antibodies to form, a person must be vaccinated according to a predetermined dose and schedule.
The vaccination schedule depends on the type of vaccine to be given and the health condition of the person who will receive the vaccine.
To maintain the body's immune response to COVID-19 and its variants, administering a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine or booster can be considered. However, until now the government through the Ministry of Health has not recommended giving the current dose of COVID-19 vaccine to the entire community.
So, what is immunity?
Immunity is the body's defense system against disease.
In addition to undergoing vaccinations, adequate nutritional intake, adequate rest, exercising regularly, and relieving stress also need to be done to strengthen the body's immunity.
Why are vaccinations important?
The benefit of giving vaccines is to prevent disease transmission, especially infectious diseases, because vaccines make the body recognize the bacteria or virus that causes disease so that it can fight back more quickly.
If you have received a COVID-19 vaccination schedule, it is best if you vaccinate according to the schedule. Not only to protect yourself, but also those around you.
After getting the vaccine, you can do a serological test to see if your body has formed antibodies or immunity to the Corona virus. However, this antibody test is not required to be carried out in the general population, but only for research participants or certain groups.
Vaccine Making Stage
What are the stages of making a vaccine?
To ensure their effectiveness and safety, vaccines must go through research and pass clinical trials that can take years.
The following are several stages in the process of making a COVID-19 vaccine:
1. Exploration
The exploration stage is the initial stage carried out through research in the laboratory to identify natural or synthetic antigens that can prevent a disease.
Antigen is a foreign object that can stimulate the formation of antibodies in the body. The exploratory stage to determine this antigen can take a long time.
2. Preclinical studies
The preclinical study phase is carried out by giving vaccines to experimental animals to determine their effectiveness and safety. At this stage, researchers will also examine whether the vaccine causes certain side effects.
3. Phase I clinical trial
In phase I clinical trials, the vaccine will be administered to a few healthy adults. The goal is to ensure the safety and effectiveness of vaccines in humans.
4. Phase II clinical trials
Phase II clinical trials are carried out by giving the vaccine to a larger group of people, with more diverse ages and health conditions.
After that, the researchers will review and evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and appropriate dose of the vaccine, as well as assess the immune system's response to the vaccine given.
5. Phase III clinical trial
In phase III clinical trials, the vaccine will be given to more people with a variety of conditions. Researchers will monitor the immune response and side effects of the vaccine over a period of time. This phase can take months to years.
6. Stage IV
After passing all clinical trials, the vaccine can get marketing authorization to be given to humans. In Indonesia, the distribution permit for vaccines is issued by BPOM. However, even though it can be used in general, the new vaccine needs to be researched and evaluated.
Vaccine Testing Phase and Expected Results
What is the expected end result of vaccine development?
The purpose of conducting a series of clinical trials in the manufacture of vaccines is of course to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine before it is given to the public.
Because the COVID-19 vaccine is still very new, research and evaluation are still being carried out to assess the body's response and possible side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine in humans.
The results to be achieved with the manufacture and administration of the COVID-19 vaccine are a reduction in the number of positive cases and deaths due to COVID-19, as well as the formation of herd immunity. In this way, the economic and social impacts of this epidemic can also be minimized.
Profile of Vaccines to be Used in Indonesia
The following are some types of vaccines that have been approved by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia:
1. Pfizer
Country of origin: United States
Base material: mRNA
Storage temperature: -70oC
Effectiveness claims: 94–95% efficacy
Clinical trial phase: Has passed phase 3 clinical trials and obtained an Emergency Use Permit (EUA) from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
Side effects: Pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, chills, joint pain, and fever
2. Sinovac
Country of origin: China
Base Ingredients: Killed Virus (inactivated virus)
Storage temperature: 2–8oC (refrigerator temperature)
Effectiveness claim: Efficacy around 65.3% (in Indonesia)
Clinical trial phase: Passed phase 3 clinical trial and obtained Emergency Use Permit (EUA) from BPOM
Side effects: Pain or redness at the injection site, muscle aches, fever, and headache
Reasons to be brought to Indonesia:
- Storage can use the refrigerator or cool box, so that the process of vaccine distribution and implementation of vaccination is easier.
- Sinovac vaccine is included in the top 10 vaccine candidates and uses a manufacturing method that is already mastered by local companies, such as Bio Farma.
3. Moderna
Country of origin: United States
Base material: mRNA
Storage temperature: -20oC
Effectiveness claim: 94.5% efficacy
Clinical trial phase: Has gone through phase 3 clinical trials and obtained an Emergency Use Permit (EAU) from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
Side effects: Pain, swelling and redness at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, chills, fever, and nausea and vomiting
4. Oxford/AstraZeneca
Country of origin: England
Basic material: viral vector
Storage temperature: 2–8oC (refrigerator temperature)
Effectiveness claims: 62-75% efficacy
Clinical trial phase: Passed phase 3 clinical trial and obtained Emergency Use Permit from UK Authority and BPOM
Side effects: Pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site, fever, chills, nausea, joint and muscle pain, and headache
5. Novavax
Country of origin: United States
Base Ingredients: Protein subunit
Storage temperature: 2–8oC (refrigerator temperature)
Effectiveness claims: 85–89%
Clinical trial phase: Phase 3 clinical trials completed in UK, Mexico, USA and South Africa
Side effects: Serious side effects such as allergic reactions to vaccines or anaphylaxis are very rare
6. Sinopharm
Country of origin: China
Base Ingredients: Killed Virus (inactivated virus)
Storage temperature: 2–8oC (refrigerator temperature)
Effectiveness claim: 79.34% efficacy
Clinical trial stage: It has passed the phase 3 clinical trial stage and has obtained permission for use from the health authorities in China
Side effects: Generally mild, such as fever, pain and swelling at the injection site, and headache
7. Red and White – BioFarma
BioFarma in collaboration with the Eijkman Biomolecular Institute is still continuing to develop and research the COVID-19 vaccine. Clinical trials of this vaccine are scheduled to begin sometime in June 2021.
8. Sputnik V
Country of origin: Russia
Basic material: viral vector
Storage temperature: 2–8oC (refrigerator temperature)
Effectiveness claim: 91.6% efficacy
Clinical trial stage: Passed phase 3 clinical trial
Side effects: pain at the injection site, flu, fever, headache, and fatigue.
Vaccination Plans in Indonesia
Who are the vaccine producers that will be used in Indonesia?
- PT Bio Farma
- AstraZeneca
- China National Pharmaceutical Group Corporation (Sinopharm)
- Moderna
- Novovax Inc
- Pfizer Inc and BioNTech
- Sinovac Biotech Ltd.
- Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology (Sputnik V)
What is the distribution plan for the COVID-19 vaccine?
Vaccines, supporting equipment, and other logistics related to the vaccine administration process will be distributed to Puskesmas, clinics, hospitals, and other health care facilities that have met the requirements for vaccination.
Not only medical personnel, the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine can also involve various parties, such as the TNI, Polri, and the Ministry of Transportation.
What are the criteria for people to receive the vaccine?
The following are some of the criteria for receiving the COVID-19 vaccine:
- Have never been confirmed to have COVID-19 or have recovered from COVID-19 for at least 3 months
- Normal body temperature, not more than 37.5oC
- Blood pressure below 180/110 mmHg at screening before vaccination
- Pregnant women with gestational age above 13 weeks and healthy breastfeeding mothers
- Children 12 to 17 years old
- Patients with diabetes mellitus can be vaccinated as long as there are no acute complications
- People with HIV can be vaccinated against COVID-19 if their CD4 count is more than 200
- Patients with lung diseases, such as asthma, COPD, or tuberculosis, can only be vaccinated if they have been controlled through medication (TB patients may be vaccinated after taking antituberculosis drugs regularly for more than 2 weeks)
- Have not experienced any symptoms of ARI in the past 7 days and do not have certain medical conditions, such as allergies to vaccines and autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or Sjogren's disease
Cancer survivors can get vaccinated. However, if you have special conditions or a history of serious illness, you should first consult your doctor before undergoing vaccination.
If you haven't received the vaccine, what should you do?
Always apply health protocols, namely washing hands, wearing masks, and maintaining a physical distance of at least 1 meter from other people. As much as possible, avoid traveling outside the home or gathering with large crowds.
After traveling out of town or in a situation with a high risk of COVID-19 transmission, try to do a PCR test or rapid test antigen and continue to quarantine for 1 week, even if the test result is negative.
What is the stage of administering the vaccine in the community?
The government will administer the COVID-19 vaccine in stages, because the supply of vaccines is not enough to be given to everyone at the same time.
The following is a schedule for administering vaccines that has been planned by the government:
Period I (January–April 2021)
- Phase I: 1.3 million doses for health workers
- Phase II: 17.4 million doses for public officials who cannot implement social distancing effectively and 21.5 million doses for the elderly (over 60 years of age)
Period II (April 2021–March 2022)
- Phase III: 63.9 million doses for people with high risk of transmission
- Phase IV: 77.4 million doses for the general public with a cluster approach, subject to vaccine availability
Vaccination and its Relation to Herd Immunity
What's that herd immunity?
Herd immunity or herd immunity is a condition when most of the people in a group already have immunity to an infectious disease. The more people who are immune, the harder it will be for the disease to spread.
As is herd immunity against COVID-19, it is hoped that people who cannot receive the vaccine due to certain conditions can also be protected from this disease.
So, what's the deal? herd immunity with vaccination?
When a person gets a vaccine, his body will form a specific immunity against the disease that the vaccine can prevent.
That way, this person's immune system will be ready to fight the incoming disease-causing bacteria or virus, so that infection does not occur. Even if there is an infection, the symptoms will be lighter and the recovery will be faster.
nowIn this way, the rate of disease transmission will automatically decrease. So, the more people who receive the vaccine, the less the disease will spread.
The Importance of Implementing Health Protocols
After vaccination, is it okay to ignore health protocols?
The presence of a vaccine does not mean that it can immediately eliminate COVID-19. The potential for transmission of this disease remains, especially since vaccination in Indonesia is carried out in stages.
To achieve herd immunity against COVID-19 disease, there needs to be around 60–80% of the entire population that is immune to this disease. This means that a minimum of 165 million people in Indonesia must get the COVID-19 vaccination.
This is one of the reasons why achieving vaccination targets in Indonesia takes a long time.
Therefore, continue to comply with health protocols by implementing physical distancing, wearing a mask when outside the house, diligently washing hands, and always maintaining body resistance.
Don't ignore health protocols, even though you've been vaccinated
After receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, you are required to wait 30 minutes at the health facility where the vaccination was carried out. This is important so that doctors or nurses can make observations to prevent Post Immunization Adverse Events (AEFI) for COVID-19 vaccines.
If you do not show any symptoms after vaccination, you are allowed to go home.
Even though you have been vaccinated, you still have to comply with health protocols to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, such as washing your hands, maintaining physical distance, and using a mask when outside the house.
It should also be remembered that vaccines do not prevent COVID-19 absolutely. After receiving the vaccine, it doesn't mean you can gather and party in a crowd. Stay away from crowded places and try to stay at home.
The risk of transmitting the Corona virus is still there even if you have received the COVID-19 vaccine. So, take care of yourself for the people you care about.