DPR Asks Health Ministry to Register Hospitals Using Fake Vaccines

Jakarta, InfoPublik – Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) Commission IX recommended the Health Ministryto register hospitals that have used fake vaccines.

The House also asked Health Ministry to investigate children who had received the fake vaccine. "Furthermore, Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (B-POM) shall improve the supervision of vaccine distributions because vaccine fraud is a crime against humanity committed by individuals or groups of people who have brought harm to the children," said House of Representatives Commission IX member Irma Suryani Chaniago, in Jakarta, Tuesday (6/28).

She stated that the number of children who have been victims of the fake vaccine would be numerous, given the distribution of fake vaccines has lasted for over 13 years.

The case of vaccine fraud has actually been previously investigated three times but it was not processed further and was not open to the public.

She added that it is possible that there is a mafia acting within Health ministry, B-POM, or distributor, given the fact that the case was so neatly wrapped.

If there was no scandal  revealed, she thought perhaps we will forever use the fake vaccine. According to Health Minister, the fake vaccine was not harmful to users. However, some harmful effects persist, for example, parents would assume that their children having had been vaccinated against polio is immune to polio.

It turned out that the vaccine was fake so the vaccinations are meaningless for the child, when the child is finally exposed to polio, some parties must be held responsible.

She also asked health Ministry and B-POM to make a good coordination, and conduct an investigation to hospitals that have used fake vaccines as well as to inform the public because the public must be informed of which hospitals had used fake vaccines..

Strict sanctions must be applied to hospitals and distributors who have committed the improper act, she said. (Translator: Erik Limantara)