Medical·Health: Society: News: Hankyoreh Mobile

The US, the European Union (EU), and India are limiting the export of vaccines due to unstable supply and demand for COVID-19 vaccines. Restrictions’ can be reviewed. Until recently, they drew a line saying that they are not reviewing export restrictions, but they have changed the tone. As a result, experts feared that a post-storm could be fierce, such as a hasty restriction and a decline in credibility in the international community and fewer consignment production opportunities for other vaccines. At a regular briefing on the 6th, Jung Yu-jin, the head of the vaccine introduction team, asked, “Is it possible to take measures to restrict exports of domestically produced vaccines?” There is” he said. “It is difficult to specify something with the family method during the process of reviewing the alternative,” Jung added, adding that “we are reviewing the possible parts as much as possible.” This is different from the keynote that the promotion team has shown so far. On the 30th of last month, team leader Jeong said, “At this time, we are not reviewing the measures to restrict exports.” “We need to comprehensively review the effects our country may have on the international community and the supply of other vaccines to Korea after export restrictions I need to do it.” However, it is known that it was not until the stage where the government began to review export restrictions. In response to international supply and demand uncertainty, the government formed the’Prime Government Vaccine Introduction Task Force’ consisting of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The’Corona 19 vaccine and treatment status check meeting’ was held. However, in relation to the two meetings, “the export restrictions have not been raised as an agenda,” multiple meeting attendees said. However, when the KCDC mentioned that it “reviews all possibilities,” it is said that there is a change in the atmosphere within the government. In a conversation with the promotion group, Bae Bae-Taek Bae said, “I will put all the possible alternatives on my desk and see it once,” and said, “It is not (not in the review stage) until now, but if a little more is needed, the review will proceed. Experts pointed out that this option is neither unrealistic nor moral. Korea is a member of the World Health Organization (WHO), and its trade dependence (the share of imports and exports in gross domestic product) is in the mid to late 60% of the world, so it cannot escape the international order. Kim Woo-joo, a professor at Korea University’s Guro Hospital (infectious medicine department), said, “SK Bioscience, a domestic production base, does not have a patent right, but is only engaged in consignment production.” “If all of them are used domestically, no vaccine company will entrust Korea to consignment production or transfer technology in the future.” Song Man-ki, deputy director of the International Vaccine Research Institute, said, “From the perspective of the international community, Korea is not as large as India or Europe, so there is little room for understanding (the export restrictions).” Moreover, SK Biosciences unilaterally restricts exports, but when the supply of raw materials is cut off, additional production may become difficult. SK Bioscience explained, “The Astrazeneca side cuts the production volume of the Andong plant to place an order, and after sending about 10 raw materials, it will be produced.” SK Biosciences is preparing for production by signing a technology transfer contract with another vaccine manufacturer, NovaVax, rather than a simple consignment production. By Choi Ha-yan, Seo Hye-mi, staff reporter [email protected]