09/12/2002

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Bandung, W Java, Sept 12 (ANTARA) - Indonesia is the world's biggest polio vaccine producer with production totalling 1.8 billion doses per year, an official said.

India is the biggest market for Indonesia's polio vaccine, buying 300 million to 400 million doses per year, state-owned pharmaceutical industry PT Bio Farma's finance director, Djoharsyah, said on Thursday.

Indonesia's polio vaccine exports also went to Afghanistan, Angola and Egypt. They bought small quantities of polio vaccine from Indonesia although they had not yet been declared free from polio, he said.

"World demand for Indonesia's polio vaccine is still great," he said.

He said Bio Farma was planning to produce Hepatitis B vaccine and Rotavirus vaccine next year as part of its diversification program.

"Hepatitis B vaccine and Rotavirus vaccine are in great demand in the world market so that Indonesia has a great chance to market such vaccines," he said.

He said Bio Farma prepared 27 million doses of polio vaccine to make the first and second rounds of National Immunization Week (PIN) a success.

"Around 22 million Indonesian people need polio vaccine (during the immunization week), so the amount of polio vaccine is more than enough," he said.

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Financial Times Information Limited - Asia Africa Intelligence Wire