New vaccination injector launched<\/p>\n
BANDUNG (JP): State-owned medicine and medical device producer
\nPT. Bio Farma Indonesia has launched a new integrated injection
\nand vaccine device called Uniject, which will be used in the
\nnational Hepatitis B vaccination program next year.<\/p>\n
The device will help reduce the spread of disease due to
\nunsterile needles as the injection and vaccine is set in one
\ndisposable package.<\/p>\n
Bio Farma President Director Thamrin Poeloengan estimated that
\nat least 30 percent of needles used in children's vaccination in
\ndeveloping countries are unsterile.<\/p>\n
This has contributed in the spread of deadly diseases such as
\nHepatitis B, Hepatitis C, the Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus and
\nthe Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.<\/p>\n
Thamrin said production was funded by several international
\norganizations, including the World Health Organization, the
\nUnited Nations International Children Emergency Fund (Unicef),
\nthe United States Agency for International Development and the
\nBill and Melinda Gates Foundation.<\/p>\n
\"Our production capacity right now is only around nine to 10
\nmillion devices,\" Thamrin said.<\/p>\n
Three million devices, he said, would be handed to Unicef,
\nfour million would be used in Indonesia for the national vaccine
\nprogram and the rest would be exported.<\/p>\n
The only vaccine available using Uniject for 2001, he said,
\nwas Hepatitis B, but Tetanus Toxoid will be available in 2002.<\/p>\n
The Hepatitis B unijects will be given to infants for free as
\npart of the national vaccination program, which is also being
\nsupported by Bill and Melinda Gates Children's Vaccine Program.<\/p>\n
Hepatitis B is given the priority, Thamrin said, as prevalence
\nof the disease in every region in the country ranges from 2
\npercent to 36 percent.(25\/hdn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/new-vaccination-injector-launched-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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