Today (20th) President Moon Jae-in announced that the possibility of securing an additional 20 million corona vaccines has opened up. It is also planning to sign a contract to transfer vaccine technology from overseas pharmaceutical companies to Korea.
Reporter Junmo Moon reports how much vaccine will be secured, when the first supply will be, and related to vaccines.
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President Moon Jae-in visited SK Bioscience’s consignment production plant for corona vaccine in Andong, Gyeongbuk.
At this meeting, President Moon announced the possibility of securing additional vaccines for the US pharmaceutical company NovaVax.
[문재인 대통령 : 지금까지 확보한 5,600만 명분의 백신에 더해 2,000만 명분의 백신을 추가로 확보할 가능성이 열렸습니다.]
President Moon also held a video conference with Nova Bax’s representative Stanley Erk.
President Moon requested that the technology transfer contract being pursued with SK be completed promptly, and President Erck replied that the agreement was going well.
As early as this month, a technology transfer contract will be signed, and the vaccine to be produced under this contract will be supplied in Korea as early as May, the Blue House said.
An official from the Blue House explained that the shelf life of NovaVax vaccine is 1 to 3 years in undiluted solution and 1 to 2 years in finished product, and that it can be used next year as well.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-gyun mentioned the possibility of early vaccine supply.
Prime Minister Chung said that out of the 10 million vaccines contracted with Kovacs Facility, 50,000 will arrive at the beginning of next month and are in discussions to start vaccinations at the beginning and the middle of next month.
However, an official from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that the quantity, timing, and type of vaccines have not been finalized and will be decided after the end of this month.
(Video coverage: Jo Young Cho·il, Video editing: Park Jeong Sam, CG: Kang Yura·Choi Jiwon)
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