The government says it has signed an additional 23 million people with Pfizer and NovaVax vaccines combined. 500,000 Pfizer vaccines will be introduced next month first.
Reporter Choi Ho-won.
<기자>
The additional vaccines the government has signed are 3 million Pfizer vaccines and 20 million NovaVax vaccines.
As a result, the number of vaccines secured by Korea has increased to 79 million, including the existing 56 million.
[정세균/국무총리 : 정부는 11월 말 집단면역 형성을 목표로 국민들께서 안심하고 백신을 접종받으실 수 있도록 충분한 물량을 최대한 조기에 도입하고자 노력해왔습니다.]
In the case of 3 million Pfizer vaccines, it is the amount directly contracted with the head office, and if you add up to the 10 million people that were originally decided to be supplied from the third quarter, the total is 13 million people.
In consultation with Pfizer, the government decided to accelerate the overall supply period.
First, at the end of next month, 500,000 people will be supplied first, and an additional 3 million people will be introduced in the third quarter.
Separately, the government is promoting the introduction of 60,000 Pfizer vaccines through the international vaccine purchasing organization Kovacs Facility.
The NovaVax vaccine, which has been introduced for 20 million people, is being produced on consignment in Korea. As a result of a phase 3 clinical trial completed in the UK, 89.3% of the vaccine was prevented.
In particular, it is expected to be helpful in the domestic elderly vaccination plan if the effect is confirmed to be sufficient even in the elderly over 65 years of age.
In addition, NovaVax has also signed a technology transfer contract with a domestic pharmaceutical company for its synthetic antigen vaccine.
Before these vaccines come in, the government will first receive a domestically consigned AstraZeneca vaccine and start vaccination on the 26th for those under the age of 65, excluding the elderly.