COVID-19 Vaccines Administered to 2.6 Million Worldwide... Accelerating 'Vaccination' Pace

Over 1 Million COVID-19 Vaccinations Administered in the US
Vaccination Speed Expected to Increase with Moderna Following Pfizer
Logistics and Staffing Issues Delay Vaccine Rollout

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] The number of people vaccinated against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) worldwide has surpassed 2.6 million. As countries begin COVID-19 vaccinations one after another, the number of countries and individuals vaccinated is expected to increase rapidly.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

According to Bloomberg on the 23rd (local time), COVID-19 vaccinations have been carried out in the United States, China, the United Kingdom, Russia, Israel, Canada, and others. As of this day, 1.01 million people have been vaccinated in the United States. In China, 650,000 people (as of the 19th), in the United Kingdom 500,000 people (as of the 21st), in Russia 440,000 people (as of the 22nd), Israel 30,000 people (as of the 21st), and Canada 30,000 people (as of the 23rd) have been vaccinated respectively.

Initially, the United States aimed to vaccinate 20 million people by the end of the year, but it is expected that this goal will be difficult to achieve. Although 3 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which was the first to receive emergency approval, have been supplied nationwide, only about one-third have been administered so far. The relatively low number of vaccinations compared to supply is due to logistical issues and strict conditions at medical facilities. Managing Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, which requires ultra-cold storage at minus 70 degrees Celsius, demands operational personnel even at medical facilities. Additionally, social distancing procedures for safe vaccination are also necessary. For these reasons, hospitals claim that securing personnel is a key challenge.

Fortunately, the supply of 9.5 million doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, which was approved shortly after, is underway, so the vaccination speed is expected to accelerate. Moderna’s vaccine can be stored at minus 20 degrees Celsius, making distribution and management relatively easier. Therefore, once Moderna’s vaccine is supplied nationwide in the U.S., the number of vaccinated individuals is expected to increase rapidly.

Moreover, the number of countries vaccinating is rapidly increasing around Christmas. In Mexico, Pfizer vaccine vaccinations for medical staff are scheduled to begin on the 24th. Meanwhile, Bloomberg estimates that countries have signed contracts for 8.3 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines so far. Considering that vaccines typically require two doses, this amount is enough to vaccinate about half of the world’s population of 7.8 billion.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.