Sequential supply for 750,000 people from the 24th… Inoculation from the 26th with permission
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AstraZeneca (AZ)’s new coronavirus infection (Corona 19) vaccine will be approved in Korea and the availability of vaccination for the elderly will be finalized on the 10th.
If the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety grants an item permission for the vaccine at the final inspection committee on this day, vaccination will begin on the 26th. However, it is noteworthy what decision the government will make as European countries have recommended not to inoculate the AstraZeneca vaccine to the elderly. Despite the controversy over the effect, it may be concluded that vaccination is possible for all age groups, including the elderly, and conversely, there is a possibility that the vaccination age may be limited. If the elderly are excluded, the government’s overall vaccination plan will be disrupted.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is undergoing a’three step’ expert advisory procedure leading to the verification advisory group, the central pharmacist review committee, and the final inspection committee for the approval of corona 19 vaccine items. Previously, at the first stage verification advisory group meeting, there were many opinions that 65-year-olds can also be vaccinated with AstraZeneca vaccine. Recommended to discuss vaccination.
In fact, the final decision on whether to inoculate the elderly was passed to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accordingly, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to decide whether to adjust the vaccination plan after observing the final decision of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on that day, after deliberation by the vaccination specialist committee. If the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety permits the use of AstraZeneca vaccine without an age limit on this day, this product is highly likely to be suitable for the elderly, hospitalized, rehabilitation facilities, and workers.
The Agency for Disease Control and Prevention has announced that it will confirm the list of candidates for the first quarter vaccination by the 19th. According to the’Corona 19 Vaccination Implementation Plan’ announced on the 28th of last month by the Agency for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccinations for about 776,900 people including nursing hospitals and nursing facility residents will begin in the first quarter. In medical institutions such as nursing hospitals, vaccinations are carried out by themselves, and in nursing facilities where many elderly people with limited mobility are present, medical staff visit vaccination.
AstraZeneca vaccine can be stored and distributed in a refrigerator (2-8 degrees Celsius), so there is no need to have a separate vaccination system. The initial supply schedule for AstraZeneca vaccine has already been disclosed. The government will sequentially receive 750,000 doses (1.5 million doses) of this vaccine from manufacturers on the 24th to 28th. This is part of the 10 million people that the government has signed a supply contract with AstraZeneca, and is a product commissioned by SK Bioscience at the Andong plant in Gyeongbuk. Products manufactured in domestic factories will be delivered to inoculation institutions such as public health centers nationwide from the 25th through the integrated logistics center located in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do upon approval for shipment from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
If the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety recommends limiting vaccinations for seniors aged 65 and over, the KCDC should readjust the vaccination schedule. Currently, countries in Europe, such as France and Germany, have restricted vaccination to the elderly due to lack of data to prove that the AstraZeneca vaccine is effective. The number of clinical studies targeting 65 years of age or older was insufficient compared to other vaccines, so statistically significant results could not be obtained at this age group. However, it is known that there is no special problem with regard to safety. In this regard, the Agency for Disease Control and Prevention said, “The vaccination schedule for elderly residents in nursing homes will be decided according to the review of the Corona 19 Expert Advisory Committee and the deliberation of the Vaccination Specialist Committee in the future.”
/ Intern reporter Park Yena [email protected]
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