Jakarta. Indonesia expects to receive AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine from the global vaccine-sharing scheme Covax Facility in the first quarter of 2021 or by the end of March at the latest.

The Covax facility — co-led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and global vaccine alliance Gavi — aims to ensure equitable access to the Covid-19 vaccine.

According to the Cabinet Secretariat's official website, Indonesia had already received Gavi's confirmation on the initial vaccine allocation on Saturday.

"In a letter, Gavi confirmed Indonesia would initially receive between 13.7 million and 23.1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The first shipment in the first quarter will comprise 25 to 35 percent of the allocated doses, followed by the remaining 65 to 75 percent in the second quarter," the Cabinet Secretariat wrote on their website on Wednesday.

The distribution will commence once the AstraZeneca vaccine is granted emergency use listing (EUL) by the WHO and validated by the Independent Allocation of Vaccines Task Force (IAVG). It will also depend on the manufacturer's supply availability.

Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi has coordinated with Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin to prepare for the vaccine delivery. The Food and Drug Control Agency (BPOM) must first approve the British-developed AstraZeneca vaccine for emergency use.

"This is the success of our diplomacy. Covax enables us to have access to free vaccines. Soon, this will complement the types of vaccines that are currently available," Covid-19 vaccination program spokeswoman Siti Nadia Tarmidzi said.

"The AstraZeneca vaccine is also among the vaccines that can be administered to people aged 60 years old and above. This group has the highest mortality rate," she added.

The vaccine from Gavi will help Indonesia to inoculate 181.5 million people to create herd immunity. Indonesia has received commitments and options for 663 million doses from various sources, including AstraZeneca from the UK, Sinovac from China, and US-based firms Novavax and Pfizer.