Bill Gates' TB Vaccine Trial in Indonesia Is Not Guinea Pigs, Says Government
Reporter
May 9, 2025 | 01:49 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that the phase 3 clinical trial of the tuberculosis (TB) vaccine developed by the Gates Foundation, owned by Bill Gates, in Indonesia is not intended to turn the public into guinea pigs. Budi stated that the narrative claiming the program is dangerous is baseless. He cited a similar phenomenon when the COVID-19 vaccine first emerged.
"This is not a guinea pig trial. Instead, we should obey because it has been proven that even COVID cases have decreased. Many people used to say the same thing, right? It has a chip or something," he said after launching the tuberculosis eradication program at the Rambutan Sub-district Office, Ciracas, East Jakarta, on Friday, May 9, 2025.
Budi stated that the vaccine candidate's safety was tested initially when the samples were tested on animals. Meanwhile, the trial conducted in Indonesia, he said, is in the third stage, or the stage to evaluate the effectiveness of the vaccine.
"So, the clinical trial 3 checks its effectiveness, out of 100 people who were treated, how many recovered and contracted the disease," he said. "So, scientifically, it has been proven safe," he claimed. Budi claimed that this vaccine has no side effects.
Budi added that Indonesia will benefit from being chosen as one of the trial sites. According to Budi, Indonesia is the second country with the highest number of tuberculosis patients. Besides being able to match the genetic variants in the vaccine, by participating in this trial, Indonesia could become one of the producers if Bill Gates' vaccine is officially distributed.
"We can get priority to produce the vaccine. So, our Bio Farma, when it is ready, can produce it on its own," he said.
Furthermore, Budi also denied that Bill Gates will build the vaccine plant developed in Singapore. He said, for now, Bill Gates' vaccine plant will only be built in the United States. "Later, if I'm not mistaken, the company that will build it is GAS or GlaxoSmithKline," he said.
Previously, social media was buzzing about the collaboration in the tuberculosis or TBC M72 vaccine clinical trials. Netizens were concerned that Indonesia was being used as a guinea pig and would suffer if the vaccine failed.
"If there are dangerous side effects, who will take responsibility?" tweeted a user named @delfi*** on May 7, 2025.
"What about this, why would the people of Indonesia want to be guinea pigs," wrote another account @adri** on the same day. Some even suggested that this vaccine should be tested on government officials first. "I suggest to vaccinate Bapak President, Vice President, Ministers, House members, and all subordinate members. Only then, if it's safe, vaccinate the Indonesian people," wrote an account @adity*** on Thursday, May 8, 2025.
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