AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 Vaccine is Safe and Halal
By: Rahmat Sholeh ) *
BPOM and MUI have recommended the use of the Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines for the mass vaccination program . The community also supports the implementation of the Covid-19 vaccination program because it fulfills the elements of security and halalness.
In addition to compiling and implementing programs related to vaccination, the government also has an additional task, namely to convince the public to be able to support and campaign that the Covid-19 vaccine is safe and halal.
It is hoped that during the vaccination process, there are no people who refuse, instead people are competing to campaign that the Covid-19 vaccine is safe and halal.
One of the support for the vaccination program came from North Sumatra community leaders. This support was revealed in the dissemination of the Covid-19 vaccination which was attended by leaders of political parties, religious leaders, community leaders and traditional leaders of North Sumatra at Teuku Rizal Nurdin Hall, Governor’s Office House, Jalan Jenderal Sudirman Number 41, Medan.
This support was delivered, among others, by the Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) of North Sumatra, Abdul Hamid Ritonga. His party stated that he supports the vaccination program carried out by the government. The North Sumatra MUI views that the Covid-19 vaccine is safe and lawful.
On this occasion, Abdul Hamid also said there was a lot of incorrect information about vaccines. He has seen for himself that vaccines are not dangerous.
He told me about the proliferation of information that made the public uneasy, such as people who died after receiving the vaccine, fainted and had spots on their bodies. However, after the governor and other officials received vaccines, the anti-vaccine narrative would have to change and change with the socialization of the safe and halal Covid-19 vaccine.
Meanwhile, the representative of the Archdiocese of Mendan, Father Hasto Yosafat Ivo, also received similar support. His party expressly states its support for the implementation of vaccination for the prevention of Covid-19. And will carry out government instructions to disseminate vaccination information to the public.
Support for the safety and halal vaccines was also conveyed by the General Secretary of the North Sumatra Nahdlatul Ulama Regional Management Mhd Hatta, who also supported the Covid-19 vaccination program. He also hopes that people over 60 years of age should get vaccinated.
The support he conveyed is one of the efforts to save the Indonesian nation.
Previously, it should be noted that the existence of a vaccination center is expected to accelerate vaccination in Indonesia. Erick Thohir as Minister of BUMN said, the acceleration of national vaccination must be done in order to create a healthy Indonesia as soon as possible.
On different occasions, Interfaith leaders in Semarang also supported the implementation of vaccination.
Secretary General of the Central Java Nahdlatul Ulama Islamic Boarding School Association (NU), Ustaz Abu Choir explained that as a government partner. NU Central Java has conducted vaccination outreach to 4600 Islamic boarding schools, while collecting data on pesantren figures to be involved in vaccination, including to students.
Ust Choir also reminded the public to believe in correct information, not to believe in hoax information. Moreover, vaccines have been scientifically proven to be safe and lawful, so don’t refuse vaccines so that the Covid-19 pandemic can end soon.
In addition, Anak Agung Ketut Darmaja, Chair of the Indonesian Hindu Religious Guardians of Central Java Province, said that his party is also very supportive of the government’s noble program regarding Covid-19 vaccination. His party has also socialized this vaccination program to all City Regencies. Central Java Province, no Hindu community refused.
Apart from obtaining an Emergency use authorization (EUA) issued by the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM), the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) stated that the Covid-19 vaccine is halal for use. This halal status also applies to the Sinovac vaccine.
The process to determine the halal status of vaccines also takes a long time. Where since October 2020, the MUI team consisting of the Central MUI Fatwa Commission and LPPOM MU along with other teams visited factories in China and conducted investigations.
After examining more deeply, MUI ensured that the raw materials and methods of making the Covid-19 vaccine from these producers used safe and halal ingredients. So that people don’t need to doubt the halalness of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Giving the Covid-19 vaccine is one big step that can be a way to break the chain of transmission of the Corona virus. So that the community needs to support the smooth running of the vaccination program for all Indonesian people, especially those whose activities are affected by the pandemic.
) * The author is a contributor to Pertiwi Media