Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin has confirmed that the Bill Gates Foundation-supported .M72 tuberculosis (TB) vaccine candidate is safe, as it has passed the first phase of clinical trials and is now in the third phase to evaluate its effectiveness.

Speaking to the press in Jakarta on Friday (9/5/2025), he explained the three-phase clinical trial process, noting that safety is determined during the early stages. 

“The second phase ensures the vaccine is safe for humans. The third assesses how effective it is—how many people recover after being vaccinated,” he said, as quoted by antaranews.com, adding that over 2,000 participants in Indonesia have already received the shot.

The trial is being conducted in collaboration with universities, including Universitas Indonesia and Universitas Padjadjaran. Indonesia’s involvement is seen as crucial, given the country's high TB burden—it ranks second globally after India.

Minister Budi emphasized that participating in development efforts can help ensure the vaccine suits Indonesia’s population and grant the country production priority. If successful by 2028, the vaccine may be included in Indonesia’s national immunization program.

The trial is part of a global study also involving South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, and Malawi, with Indonesia enrolling 2,095 adolescent and adult participants.

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