Pharmaceutical companies from across the globe are racing to develop COVID-19 vaccines.

Reuters reported that, as of August, there were more than 200 vaccine candidates in development globally, including more than 20 in human trials.

In Indonesia, a potential vaccine developed by China-based biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech entered the phase three clinical trials in August. 

Bambang Heriyanto, corporate secretary of state-owned pharmaceutical holding company PT Bio Farma, said on Monday that, as of Oct. 16, 1,620 volunteers had received the first injection of the potential COVID-19 vaccine, 1,074 volunteers had received the second injection and 671 volunteers had undergone blood tests after receiving the second injection.

With all eyes on COVID-19 vaccine, the National COVID-19 task force experts team coordinator and spokesperson Wiku Adisasmito tried to explain the stages of vaccine development. 

Wiku said on Thursday that vaccine development started with basic research, also known as the exploratory phase.

The stage features basic lab research that focuses on examining the virus and the cells associated with it. 

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