[연합시론] Expecting vaccination early next month… Transportation and storage must be prepared thoroughly

(Seoul = Yonhap News) As the vaccine is expected to be available early next month as early as the Corona 19 vaccine, preparation work is in earnest. It is through the mouth of Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun that this fact is known. Prime Minister Chung said that out of the 10 million contracts signed with’Covax Facility’, an international project for the joint purchase and distribution of vaccines, there is a possibility that the initial quantity will arrive in February, and “I will receive a call to receive it in early February. I have answered and are preparing now.” Prime Minister Chung also said that the initial supply was for 50,000 people. Officially, it is said that the first vaccine to be introduced is likely to be Pfizer’s product, with the authorities saying that the timing of the initial supply has not been finalized. The vaccine that was initially expected to be introduced was AstraZeneca, but Pfizer’s vaccine is leading the way in international distribution. This is supported by the fact that Pfizer Pharmaceutical Korea decided to apply for a formal item license with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety this month, and that the final work is in progress. The possibility of early introduction is also increased by the fact that there are exceptionally rapid procedures as long as the schedule is tight as a normal permit procedure. This is because there is a’special import’ procedure that can be introduced once without a domestic permit in the event of a public health crisis. Remdesivir, a COVID-19 treatment that came in last year, went through the same procedure. As vaccinations are already in progress in a number of countries, it is necessary to bring in any vaccine as soon as possible, using all methods possible.

The government has secured a total of 56 million vaccines through Cobax Facility and individual pharmaceutical companies to date, and is currently negotiating with NovaVax of the United States to secure an additional 20 million. In addition to the supply volume of Cobax Facility, the starting point of supply through individual pharmaceutical companies is AstraZeneca in February and March, Janssen in the second quarter, and Pfizer in the third quarter. While focusing on securing the initial quantity early, I hope there will be no gaps in the timing of supplying the quantity for vaccination for most of the people. After the vaccine is secured, transport and storage must be smooth in order to reach the final vaccination without disruption. The storage, transportation, and vaccination procedures are different for each vaccine type, so safe and rapid transportation is more important than ever. This is why the military is responsible for the overall distribution and transportation. Min and military should take advantage of their experiences gained from last year’s influenza vaccine exposure to room temperature, so that there are no similar mistakes. In particular, the Pfizer vaccine, which is likely to enter Korea first, is a product that is difficult to handle so that it must be stored around -70 degrees Celsius. Please prepare carefully so that related equipment such as cryogenic freezer is not insufficient or malfunctions. In fact, it is important to make an effort to prepare the site not to be susceptible to infection, such as the vaccination center where the general public will receive the vaccine.

The government is said to have designated and operated 10,000 consigned medical institutions and 250 vaccination centers to ensure smooth vaccination. In the case of vaccination centers, at least one site is installed per city, county, or gu, but it is said that large-scale public facilities such as gymnasiums and civic centers are used because they must be large. As the multitude are bound to gather, special attention should be paid to efforts to increase quarantine and traffic access, such as distance and ventilation. Visiting vaccinations for the elderly and handicapped living in group facilities, as well as mobile centers with mobility around mountain villages using large trucks, as in Spain, are also useful. As the time of vaccination approaches, the spread of infection is also on the decline, with 346 new confirmed cases recorded as of 0 o’clock on the 22nd, raising expectations that it can be managed stably. However, the outbreak of the multi-use facility group continues, and the number of patients with an unknown path of infection still exceeds 20%, and concerns about re-proliferation cannot be shaken before the Lunar New Year holiday. Even if vaccination is started, the situation does not quickly stabilize. The authorities expect that 70% of the people will have a collective immunity in November, but even if 70% are immunized, infection can occur. This is the reason why the authorities say that even if the majority of them become immune,’social distancing’ should continue. It means that there is a long way to go before fully recovering from daily life. It is time to reflect on the importance of making quarantine a daily life.

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2021/01/22 11:47 sent