Korea Customs Service Commissioner Noh Seok-hwan (right) visits the Incheon International Airport Cargo Terminal on the morning of the 28th to inspect the corona 19 vaccine customs clearance support site. yunhap news
Among the four new coronavirus infections (Corona 19) vaccines that the government has contracted to purchase, AstraZeneca and Pfizer products will be available in Korea from next month. If the global vaccine purchasing organization’Cobox Facility’ supplies the quantity as expected early next month, the first COVID-19 treatment medical staff, living in nursing facilities, and workers who received the vaccine will start vaccination with these two products. Subsequently, as contracts with Janssen, Modena, and Pfizer are supplied, the rest of the medical staff, Corona 19 responders, 65 years of age or older, chronically ill, essential social personnel, and adult chronically ill will enter the vaccination in turn.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on the 28th, “The vaccine contracted through individual pharmaceutical companies will be introduced in phases from the first quarter for AstraZeneca, the second quarter for Janssen and Moderna, and the third quarter for Pfizer. , “The timing and quantity of AstraZeneca vaccine will be confirmed soon.” Currently, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is conducting product approval review for AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines.
Including Cobox, the total number of Corona 19 vaccines that the government signed a purchase contract for is 56 million people. In addition, the Agency for Disease Control and Prevention is pushing for a separate contract to secure an additional 20 million doses of NovaVax vaccine. This measure takes into account that the storage conditions for each vaccine type are different, the shelf life is short, and the clinical trial conditions are different, which may lead to unexpected situations.
Pfizer and Modena vaccines that need to be frozen are stored in an integrated distribution center after they are imported from abroad, and then transferred to vaccination centers (250 nationwide) equipped with cryogenic freezers. AstraZeneca vaccines that do not require refrigeration are stored in an integrated logistics center when SK Bioscience in Korea is commissioned to produce them, and then transferred to a commissioned medical institution (10,000 units) equipped with refrigerators. The actual vaccination is done at vaccination centers and consigned medical institutions.
50,000 medical staff at hospitals treating COVID-19 patients next month, as well as 750,000 residents and workers in elderly nursing hospitals and nursing facilities, mental care and rehabilitation facilities inpatients and workers, after vaccination is completed first, from mid-March, medical staff and epidemiology The target for vaccination will be expanded to a total of 500,000 people, including investigators and first responders. In May, △the elderly home and welfare facility users and workers, △the disabled and homeless users and workers, △the aged 65 years or older, △the total of 8.5 million health care workers at medical institutions and pharmacies started getting the vaccine at the vaccination center. At the same time, 500,000 residents and workers in residential facilities for the severely handicapped are also vaccinated at consigned medical institutions or their own facilities.
Starting in July, △adult chronically ill △required manpower, such as fire and police, △educational and childcare facilities workers, and 70% of all citizens complete the second vaccination until November when the flu pandemic. The Agency for Disease Control and Prevention said, “The vaccination is more important than the beginning. If the vaccination is carried out sequentially according to the plan, the timing of the formation of group immunity will not lag behind other countries.”
Lim So-hyung reporter [email protected]
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