March 5, 2004

Indonesia Imports Chinese Vaccine Against Bird Flu 
 

Indonesia intends to use vaccine imported from China in the fight against bird flu. According to Agriculture Minister Bungaran Saragih, the vaccine has passed quality testing and the importer will be allowed to sell it.

State-owned pharmaceutical company PT Bio Farma has imported 3,600 of 35,200 bottles of bird flu vaccine it is allowed to import from China but distribution to poultry farms was delayed after doubt was cast on the safety of the vaccine.

Saragih said after the successful test Bio Farma will resume imports of vaccine from China in a bid to eradicate the epidemic that has killed more than 4.7 billion chickens in the country over the past few month.

Saragih said Indonesia needs 120 million doses per month, but domestic producer could produce only 50 million doses.

He said supplies are expected through imports from other countries including the Netherlands, Germany and Mexico.