Party-Government-Blue House "COVID-19 Vaccination to Start in February Next Year"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The Democratic Party of Korea, the government, and the Blue House have decided to begin COVID-19 vaccination starting February next year.

On the 27th, the party, government, and Blue House held a high-level meeting at the National Assembly to discuss COVID-19 damage support measures, securing treatment and quarantine facilities, and vaccine contract status.

Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party, stated, "To provide stronger support to affected citizens, we will mobilize all available means for the disaster damage support funds to be disbursed from January," adding, "The party will steadily pursue institutional prosecutorial reform while focusing the new year’s national administration on overcoming COVID-19, stabilizing people’s livelihoods, and economic recovery."

Kim Tae-nyeon, floor leader, said, "The fiscal authorities should have an extraordinary awareness of the wartime situation and carry out bold fiscal spending," and requested, "We ask the government to expand the tailored emergency damage support funds from '3 trillion won + α'."

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said, "We will implement rent support and income compensation measures targeting small business owners and vulnerable employment groups," and added, "We will prepare necessary hospital beds in advance, keeping in mind the possibility that COVID-19 may worsen."

Regarding the timing of vaccine introduction, he explained, "It is difficult to state definitively as the specific timing greatly depends on each pharmaceutical company's production capacity, but additional negotiations are underway to ensure introduction as early as possible."

No Young-min, Chief of Staff to the President, said about the vaccine, "We have already secured sufficient quantities to protect our citizens. Vaccinations will begin targeting medical personnel and the elderly by February next year."

No added, "Countries around the world plan to start vaccinating the general public in the second quarter of next year," and "We will also begin vaccinating the general public around the same time."

He further stated, "The timing for achieving herd immunity will be similar to or even earlier than other countries," and "The government is making every effort to advance this timing and is already seeing results."

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