Decree of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), which set a meningitis vaccine made by Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK) from Belgium unlawful questioned its scientific basis by academics. Because, although the manufacturers claim vaccines using animal free media elements but all of the current vaccine seeds derived from elements of the media intersect with the pig.
"All the seeds of meningitis vaccine, production, GSK, Novartis or manufacturers from China, all the same origins. The producers had never develop their own kumannya but buying from a germ factory in the Netherlands," said Prof.dr.Umar Anggara Jenie, Chairman of the Bioethics Commission National in Jakarta, Tuesday (08/03/2010).
Contact with any element of pigs occurred only at the beginning when the vaccine production begins, about 1930s. "The collection of meningitis germs have done decades ago," said Prof. Journalists Uddin, Chairman of the Foundation YARSI.
Subsequently, the next research germs or bacteria grown in media containing a pig (porcine) to grow colonies of bacteria. Then do the fermentation and isolation of polysaccharide-making that would bred a vaccine or antigen. All this process is done by the vaccine seed plants (master seed) in the Netherlands.
"Actually, germs are taken from a working seed that has been refined many times to get working a new seed that will be developed into a vaccine," said Umar in the event of a media workshop Meningitis Vaccine Corner Health and the Law of Islam that was held by the Foundation YARSI.
In a press statement sent by GSK, is currently produced meningitis vaccine GSK is New Mencevac ACW 135 Y generation that uses bacteria-free system 14 and uses elements of the animal (animal free).
Journalist suspected MUI fatwa commission decisions based solely on testimony from the germ factory, not laboratory research. "Scientifically it can not be accounted for," he said. If GSK or Novartis are both buy seed vaccine from the same manufacturer, the statement should not be there most of halal and haram in part, he added.
MUI was also considered decision raises a question mark given the current government should replace vaccines and otherwise lawful by the MUI issued a budget of Rp 60 billion increase from the previous budget of Rp 20 billion while still wearing GSK vaccine production.
