U.S. President Joe Biden, who gives a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine in January, as then-elect. AFP=Yonhap News
“I am ready. Whenever you are ready, just let it go. You don’t even have to count three.”
US President Joe Biden was preemptively vaccinated against the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) in December last year, when he was elected. It was the first Pfizer product to be approved for use by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). At that time, as anxiety about the safety of the vaccine grew, he took the lead as a winner.
It wasn’t just America. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indonesian President Joko Widodo also declared themselves the ‘1st vaccination’ in their country. Although it is not the first issue, Queen Elizabeth II of England (94) and her husband Philip Gong (99) also released the vaccinations to the media last month. The reason for their preemptive vaccination is that “I will show an example and convince the people of the need for vaccination (Prime Minister Netanyahu)”.
Corona vaccine vaccination will begin in Korea from the 26th. Unlike foreign countries, political battles over the selection of candidates for corona vaccine #1 in Korea are heating up. The opposition argues that “President Moon Jae-in should set an example,” while the passport is confronting it as “contempt of the head of state.”
The primary target of the AstraZeneca vaccine is residents and workers under the age of 65 in nursing hospitals and nursing facilities. In principle, President Moon, who is 68 years old, is not included in the primary vaccination target. Minister of Health and Welfare Policy Adviser Yeo Jun-seong also said on Facebook on the 20th that “President Moon was born in 1953, and since he is 65 years of age or older, he is not eligible for the first vaccination.”
Nevertheless, the reason why the debate over the number 1 inoculation in Korea is heating up is that the government has shown fluctuations over the issue of vaccine introduction. In addition, disbelief about the AstraZeneca vaccine spreads among some citizens.
The opposition is turning the arrow to President Moon, saying that the responsibility for such distrust lies in the passport. On the 19th, it was the same logic that former lawmaker Seung-min Yoo, the power of the people, insisted, “In order to relieve the public’s distrust of the vaccine, which President Moon and the governments have initiated, the president should give the AstraZeneca dose first.” Earlier, at a New Year’s press conference on the 18th of last month, President Moon said, “If the anxiety about the vaccine becomes very high and an example is needed, I will not avoid (No. 1 vaccination).”
Then the passport is hot. On the 21st, Chung Cheong-rae, a member of the Democratic Party, said, “(The President’s request to get a vaccination first) is less bullshit than’Cho Ding Erla’,” and criticized it as “mocking and insulting the head of state.” Rep. Chung said, “If (President) is beaten first, will the people aside and insist that it is preferential treatment, and if there is an accident, will they sue?” “Is the head of state the subject of the experiment? The head of state said that health and schedule are state secret and security matters.” He added, “Insulting President Moon is insult to the people who elected the president.”
President Moon Jae-in answers reporters’ questions about the pending issue at a New Year’s press conference held at the Blue House Chunchu Hall on the 18th of last month. Blue House Photo Reporters
The opposition also rebutted. The power of the people Kim Yong-tae, chairman of Gwangmyeong-eul, Gyeonggi-do, said on this day, “There were media reports that some hospitals refused to receive vaccinations, but the president may be beaten first to subdue distrust of vaccines. Do you mean that the president should be right after vaccination and safety is verified? According to my logic, what kind of experimentation are the people?”
The Blue House is drawing a line. As more than 90% of the current primary vaccination targets have indicated their intention to vaccination, President Moon believes that the need for preemptive vaccination is low. According to the Central Defense Agency on the 20th, 93.8% of the 36,6959 people who were subject to the primary vaccination announced their intention to receive the vaccination.
Reporter Sung Jiwon [email protected]