Korea and Bhutan to receive KOVAX vaccine support
Japan and other advanced countries do not apply for COVAX vaccine
Canada also applied for COVAX vaccine, but controversy in their country
At Brian Allgood Hospital in Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do, soldiers of the USFK are getting vaccinated against a novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19). From this day on, the USFK began vaccinating the corona19 vaccine produced by the global pharmaceutical company Modena for essential personnel such as medical staff. /Provided by USFK
There is controversy over Korea’s decision to receive a vaccine for Corona 19 (a novel coronavirus infection), which is mainly directed to poor countries. Former National Strength Congressman Park In-sook, a former doctor, shared this and criticized it as “international disgrace.
According to data shared by former lawmaker Park In-sook on the 8th, Korea will receive vaccine support from COVAX, an international vaccine cooperation program with Bhutan and Palestine.
COVAX is an organization jointly operated by the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Vaccine Immunity Association (GAVI), and the Infectious Disease Innovation Association (CEPI) for the fair distribution of the Corona 19 vaccine. At the expense paid by participating countries, a vaccine pre-purchase contract is signed with a global pharmaceutical company, and the vaccine is supplied when the development is completed.
In August of last year, the Korean government submitted a letter of intent to participate and was assigned 10 million people, which is 20% of the population.
The supply of COVAX vaccine is divided into a track that provides a’joint purchase’ of vaccines from participating countries, and a track that supplies vaccines to developing countries with funds donated by developed countries.
However, it is pointed out that it is somewhat inappropriate for developed countries with financial margins to request supplies as the original purpose was to provide vaccines to poor countries at no cost or free of charge by international organizations and rich countries.
For example, most developed countries, such as the UK and Japan, who have joined COVAX have decided not to receive the COVAX vaccine. Canada has decided to receive support for the COVAX vaccine, which has been criticized even within its country.
Canada’s leading daily newspaper Globe and Mail criticized the country’s KoVax vaccine in its article titled “Canada is the only G7 country to get the vaccine from a fund to help developing countries.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) held a joint briefing with the Global Vaccine Immunization Association (GAVI) on the 3rd (local time) and announced plans to distribute the first interim vaccine for COVAX.
Most of the countries that receive Pfizer vaccines in the first quarter through CoVax were found to be developing countries. None of the 18 countries exceeds $10,000 in gross domestic product (GDP) per capita except for Maldives, a small island country in the Indian Ocean. Korea alone is a country classified as an’advanced country’ with more than $30,000.
In Korea, without COVAX support, only AstraZeneca vaccine could be vaccinated in the first quarter of this year.
Former Rep. Park In-sook said, “It is embarrassing and embarrassing that Korea, which boasts of over 30,000 dollars per capita, is put on this list.” The fact that Korea for over a year has been clinging to the COVAX vaccine is really ridiculous,” he criticized.
He pointed out that “when many countries individually pre-purchase vaccines several times more than their population over the summer and fall of last year, the Korean government has been letting go of it and has reached this point.”
Reporter Kim Myung-il, Hankyung.com [email protected]