Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – As many as 16 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in bulk from China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd. arrived at Indonesia’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Tangerang, Banten province, on Thursday afternoon (March 25)Sin.

"Today we managed to bring in the 7th phase of the COVID-19 vaccine, as many as 16 million (doses) of vaccine in bulk," said Indonesian Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono in a press statement welcoming the arrival of the vaccine at Soekarno-Hatta Airport.

Earlier, in the first phase on December 6, 2020, 1.2 million doses of ready-to-use COVID-19 vaccine from Sinovac arrived in Indonesia.

On December 31, 2020, or the second phase, Indonesia received 1.8 million doses of ready-to-use vaccines from the Chinese company.

On January 12, 2021, or the third stage, 15 million doses of Sinovac vaccine in bulk, which were processed by Indonesia’s state-owned vaccine manufacturing company Bio Farma, arrived at Soekarno-Hatta Airport.

In the fourth phase, or on February 2, 2021, as many as 10 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine in raw materials arrived in the country.

In the fifth phase, or March 2, 2021, Sinovac sent another 10 million raw materials for the COVID-19 vaccine.

On March 8, 2021, or the sixth phase, Indonesia received 1.1 million doses of ready-to-use COVID-19 vaccine from British-Swedish AstraZeneca pharmaceutical company.

"With the 16 million (doses of vaccine in bulks), we have cumulatively had 55.1 million (doses) of vaccine and vaccine in bulks," Dante noted.

The vaccine bulks, which were shipped by Indonesia’s flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, will be delivered to Bio Farma in Bandung, West Java for further processing.

"Of course, after being produced, they (the vaccines) will be evaluated by the National Agency of Drug and Food Control, before being used for vaccination," said the deputy health minister.

Reporting by Indonesia Window