◀ Anchor ▶
AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine has begun in the UK.
The Korean government, which started screening for AstraZeneca vaccine from today, is also planning to approve it within 40 days at the latest and start vaccination at the end of next month.
This is Nam-ho Lee, reporter.
◀ Report ▶
Following the Pfizer vaccine, the UK has launched the world’s first AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19.
[조지 핀들리/영국 프린세스 로열병원 책임자]
“I will vaccinate as many people as possible. Initially, the dose will be only a few hundred per day, but it will increase.”
AstraZeneca also applied for a vaccine license in Korea today.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety plans to complete the review as soon as possible.
The approval screening, which usually takes more than 180 days, is completed within 40 days at the latest, and the national shipment approval, which is required before distribution of the vaccine, usually takes 2-3 months, but it is decided within 20 days.
We decided to shorten the review and approval period as much as possible by conducting the permit review and national shipment approval at the same time.
[김상봉/식약처 바이오생약국장]
“Within 40 days (permission) means 40 days at the latest rather than filling in 40 days. I am telling you that we plan to shorten the permit period as much as possible.”
This will allow you to start vaccinating immediately next month.
[정은경/질병관리청장]
“From the end of February, we plan to start vaccination with workers at high-risk medical institutions and residents living in group facilities such as nursing hospitals and nursing facilities.”
AstraZeneca vaccine is expected to reach 10 million people in total.
The government plans to receive priority supply of the quantity produced by SK Bioscience, a domestic consigned manufacturer of AstraZeneca.
By designating vaccination as a temporary vaccination, we decided to establish a legal basis and create a government-wide vaccination response promotion group.
The specific vaccination plan will be announced within this month.
This is Namho Lee of MBC News.
(Video editing: Hwayoung Lee)
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