International
oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P
New Delhi, Jan 06: With just one-sentence, Sinovac, the Chinese vaccine maker, wrote to Indonesia’s state-owned vaccine manufacturer in July that the coronavirus vaccine was “manufactured free of porcine materials”.
Though the letter did not reveal much of the situation, Indonesian clerics needed more details. A vaccine, that is laced with the smallest amount of pork DNA could dissuade some followers of Islam from inoculation in Indonesia, the country with the world’s largest Muslim population. However, Sinovac took months to provide more information, which came only this week.
The Chinese company’s delayed response has been yet another challenge in Indonesia’s already fragile vaccine rollout. With the highest number of coronavirus infections in Southeast Asia, the country is eager to drum up support for its goal…