Korea's COVID-19 vaccination program picks up pace
Korea's nationwide vaccination 먹튀검증사이트 against the coronavirus is gathering speed, with two more vaccines set to be introduced this month, bringing the country closer to its goal of reaching herd immunity by November.
In addition to the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines currently being administered here, the single doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and initial doses of Moderna's vaccine will be put to use as soon as this week, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Tuesday.
First doses of the Moderna vaccines ― enough for 27,500 people ― were delivered through Incheon International Airport on Tuesday afternoon. The Korean government contracted the U.S. pharmaceutical company for the provision of enough doses to vaccinate 20 million people.
They will be administered to medical workers under the age of 30 who weren't already immunized in the first quarter. Although medical personnel have been receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine since February, those aged under 30 were exempt due to possible side effects related to blood clotting in younger people.
In addition, 1 million doses of Johnson & Johnson's Janssen vaccine provided by the United States are scheduled to arrive on Saturday. The volume is nearly double the amount pledged for the vaccination of Korean military personnel by President Joe Biden during his summit with President Moon Jae-in, May 21.
First batch of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine arrives in Korea
2021-06-01 14:40 | Health & Welfare
Beginning on June 10, the Janssen vaccine will be administered to military-related personnel aged over 30. The age restriction was set by the country's drug regulator following reports of possible side effects related to blood clotting in younger people.
The ministry also noted that 879,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been released from its plant in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, Tuesday, while the shipment of 650,000 doses of Pfizer's vaccine is set for Wednesday.
People wait after receiving coronavirus vaccinations in case of any possible side effects at a vaccination center in Dongjak District, Seoul, May 29. Yonhap
As the boost in supply is expected to accelerate the country's sluggish vaccine rollout, health authorities announced that up to 14 million people would receive at least one dose by the end of June, 1 million more than its initial goal set in May.
"The initial aim of inoculating 13 million people came before the U.S. provision of 1 million doses. So now, adding the amount, it seems possible to vaccinate up to 14 million people in the first half of the year," health ministry spokesperson Sohn Young-rae said at a briefing.
As of Monday, 11 percent, or 5.8 million of the country's 52 million population, have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while 4 percent have been fully vaccinated, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
Public opinion is also becoming more positive about receiving vaccines. According to a government survey conducted of 1,000 adults from May 25 to 27, 69.2 percent of those who haven't been inoculated said they would receive jabs, up 7.8 percentage points from a month earlier.
Medical experts also viewed that the increased supply in tandem with the country's mass inoculation capacity will scale up doses administered daily.
"Considering the country's inoculation capacity, the goal (of vaccinating 14 million people in the first half of the year) is achievable. But an important task of the government would be to encourage participation of people who are refusing to receive the vaccine," said Jung Jae-hoon, a professor at Gachon University Gil Medical Center.