Our government is focusing on accelerating the timetable for vaccination. It means that we will complete the collective immunity that occurs only when about 70% of the people are hit by next winter. To speed things up, we also decided to significantly reduce the vaccine screening period.
This is reporter Lim Ji-soo.
[기자]
The government’s goal is to complete collective immunity against COVID-19 before the flu pandemic next winter.
It is possible when 70% of the population has completed the vaccination.
The United States is aiming for five months.
200 million people, one million people a week.
Our government has also started preparing.
In October, AstraZeneca, recently Pfizer and Janssen, were reviewed in advance.
We also decided to drastically reduce the permit period.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has decided to conduct the approval review within 40 days.
It usually takes about 180 days.
They also agreed to reduce the national shipment approval within 60 to 20 days.
[기모란/국립암센터 예방의학과 교수 : 원칙대로 다 하자면 승인 신청을 하면 우리나라 안에서 소규모라도 임상을 해봐야 해요. 지금 그럴 새가 없는 거죠.]
The contracted AstraZeneca vaccine can be vaccinated in March as soon as the application for permission comes in in January.
6 million Janssen could be available in the second quarter, and 10 million Pfizer could be available in the third quarter.
AstraZeneca and Janssen can be stored and distributed in a regular refrigerator.
Inoculation is not difficult even at the current medical institution’s facility.
On the other hand, for Pfizer vaccination, which is scheduled to be introduced in the second half, it is necessary to have a distribution system at -70 degrees Celsius from now on.
Experts emphasize that, above all, training of vaccination personnel and thorough preparation for side effects.
(Video Design: Choi Sujin)