Millions of expired vaccines are not due to their quality (Ministry of Health)

When we say vaccines are expired, they are not expired in terms of factory quality, but because their emergency use authorization has expired.

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Health has extended the validity period of 18 million vaccines which were due to expire in March this year as they are still of good quality despite their emergency use authorization having expired.

“When we say vaccines are expired, they are not expired in terms of factory quality, but because their emergency use authorization has expired,” ministry spokeswoman Siti Nadia said on Monday. Tarmizi.

The COVID-19 vaccines are new products that have gone through three stages of clinical trials to obtain Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the National Food and Drug Administration (BPOM), a- she informed.

EUA cannot be provided for a long time because it requires intensive and periodic security assessment by BPOM, she explained.

However, in accordance with the provisions of vaccine producers based on internal quality control measures, it has been determined that the expiry period of vaccines can last up to 24 months.

“For example, in the label section on Sinovac and AstraZeneca (vaccines), it is stated that their expiration period can be up to 24 months. Rapid and emergency clearance in Indonesia cannot be granted for a long time,” she noted.

At the start of EUA, vaccines can only be distributed within three months, Tarmizi said.

However, with the increasing number of people vaccinated, BPOM can observe side effects to assess their safety.

“BPOM can do an evaluation for the period that lasted three months. Many of these types of vaccines can be extended to six months, and even after a long period, to nine months,” she explained.

BPOM periodically assesses the safety of vaccines to prevent adverse side effects in recipients, the spokesperson noted.

Last week, the government extended the validity period of around 18 million COVID-19 vaccines.

They include the remaining vaccine doses that have not been administered to the target population.

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