COVID-19 – Indonesia issues emergency use for five booster vaccines

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Indonesia’s National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) has issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for five COVID-19 vaccine products that are used as booster doses or antibody boosters.

“There are five vaccines that have obtained the EUA through an evaluation process by a join team of experts assessing drugs or vaccines, and met the requirements,” BPOM’s head Penny K Lukito said at a press conference here on Monday (Jan. 10).

The five COVID-19 vaccine products that have been authorized as booster vaccines are CoronaVac produced by Indonesia’s Bio Farma vaccine manufacturer, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Zifivax.

Penny explained that additional doses of the CoronaVac homologous vaccine could be given to people aged 18 years old and over after six months of primary vaccination.

“The immunogenicity test shows an increase in neutralizing antibody titers up to 21-35 times after 28 days of administering the CoronaVac booster vaccine in adult subjects,” she explained, adding that the co-occurrences after vaccination were pain and redness at the injection area.

According to Penny, additional doses of Pfizer vaccine for booster could also be given at least six months after primary vaccination for people aged 18 years old and over. The effects of using the vaccine with mRNA platform are generally local, such as pain at the injection area, headache, muscle aches, and fever.

“The immunogenicity test shows an increase in neutralizing antibody titers up to 3.3 times after one month (of administering the vaccines),” the head of the agency said.

She noted that the AstraZeneca vaccine could also be used as a booster. According to its immunogenicity test, the use of this vaccine could increase antibody by about 3.5 times.

Meanwhile, Moderna vaccine, according to her, could be used to complement the administration of two primary doses of AstraZeneca, Pfizer, as well as Johnson and Johnson vaccines. Half the dose of this mRNA platform vaccine could be given as an adjunct after primary vaccination.

“Moderna shows 13 times immunogenicity after a booster dose administered to adult subjects aged 18 years old and over,” she said.

In addition, Penny added, Zifivax vaccine could be used as a heterologous booster for other types of vaccines, such as Sinovac or Sinopharm with an interval of administration of six months and above.

“Zifivax shows an increase in neutralizing antibody titer more than 30 times,” she said.

Penny pointed out that so far 13 COVID-19 vaccine brands have received the EUA in Indonesia.

“Studies indicate that the immune response would decrease below 30 percent after six months of the primary vaccine, so a booster is needed,” she said.

Reporting by Indonesia Window