Pfizer vaccine./ Photo = Reuters
The results of Korea’s first expert advice on the new coronavirus infectious disease (Corona 19) vaccine’Cominati’ that the government directly contracts with Pfizer to bring will be announced on the 23rd. This is a separate quantity from the quantity received from the international vaccine joint purchase project’Covax Facility’, which will begin vaccination on the 27th.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will announce the results of the verification advisory group meeting, which is the first step of the’triple’ advisory meeting for external experts for corona 19 vaccine approval. At the previous day’s meeting, experts reviewed the safety, effectiveness, and clinical significance of the Pfizer vaccine.
Even if the meeting result is’approval possible’, Pfizer’s vaccine is subject to final approval only after approval from the Central Pharmacy Review Committee and Final Inspection Committee. This is a procedure for formal authorization for vaccines contracted by the government directly with Pfizer.
Pfizer’s vaccine, which was previously secured through Covax Facility, went through a’special import’ procedure that allows drugs that are not licensed in Korea to be imported from abroad. The amount will be vaccinated for medical staff from the 27th.
Of the 13 million vaccines contracted with Pfizer, 500,000 will be first supplied to Korea at the end of March. After that, 3 million people are expected to arrive in the second quarter.
The Pfizer vaccine was found to have 95% preventive effect in a phase 3 clinical trial. This shows the highest effect among the five corona 19 vaccines to be introduced in Korea. However, as a result of viral culture experiments, it was confirmed that the effect of protecting antibodies against mutations originating in South Africa may decrease by about two-thirds. It had a high effect on the British mutation.
Shin Hyun-ah, reporter at Hankyung.com [email protected]
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