Launch of COVID-19 Vaccination Promotion Team... Total of 70 Members Including Dispatch to External Organizations (Comprehensive)

Vaccination Plan to Be Finalized This Month
Jung Eun-kyung: "Efforts for Early Herd Immunity Formation"

On the 6th (local time) in Veghel, Netherlands, a healthcare worker is receiving the COVID-19 vaccine jointly developed by the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer and the German company BioNTech.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] The New Coronavirus Infectious Disease (COVID-19) Vaccination Response Promotion Team (hereinafter referred to as the Promotion Team) was launched on the 8th. This organization is responsible for all matters related to COVID-19 vaccination, including detailed vaccination schedules starting next month, procurement, storage and distribution, and post-vaccination side effect management. Since several significant challenges are expected until herd immunity is achieved by the end of this year, the team decided to pool the efforts of all related ministries and experts.

According to the Prime Minister’s directive issued on the day, the Promotion Team is led by Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters (Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency), and operates with dispatched officials and employees from related ministries and public institutions, including staff from the Disease Control Agency. A council composed of senior officials (level 1) from central administrative ministries facilitates swift inter-ministerial cooperation, and an advisory group consisting of experts in clinical and pharmaceutical fields can also be separately established.

The government plans to finalize a detailed vaccination plan within this month, including selecting priority vaccination groups. The first to be vaccinated will be users and workers of facilities where high-risk groups such as nursing hospitals gather, as well as high-risk medical personnel treating COVID-19 patients. This group is estimated to number around one million. Next, elderly people aged 65 and over, staff of educational and childcare facilities for children and adolescents, epidemiological investigators, and other first responders are likely to be vaccinated first. Police officers, firefighters, military personnel, and adults with chronic diseases such as diabetes will also be prioritized based on risk assessment. Currently, due to lack of clinical data, children under 18 are likely to be excluded from the vaccination target.

Jung Eun-kyung, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, is responding to lawmakers' questions during an emergency inquiry on the current status of quarantine measures, vaccine supply, and vaccination timing due to COVID-19 at the National Assembly plenary session held on the 8th in Yeouido, Seoul.

Besides the Disease Control Agency, 14 central ministries and related organizations will initially participate in the Promotion Team. Eighteen personnel have been dispatched from external organizations including the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, National Police Agency, Korea Correctional Service, National Health Insurance Service, and Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service. The Promotion Team consists of over 70 members organized into four divisions, one office, and ten teams. The Situation Management Division oversees the preparation and implementation of COVID-19 vaccination. The Vaccination Management Division is responsible for planning and executing vaccination projects, managing vaccination institutions and personnel. The Resource Management Division handles vaccine procurement and distribution, while the Damage Compensation Review Division manages post-vaccination adverse reactions and compensation reviews.

Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require more preparation than existing vaccines due to their complicated storage and distribution requirements. They must be handled at ultra-low temperatures and administered twice at specific intervals. To support this, management systems overseeing vaccine supply and usage, as well as pre-registration and vaccination certificate systems, are being prepared. Up to 250 vaccination centers will be established, mainly utilizing national and public hospitals or public facilities. Considerations include vaccine storage, vaccination flow, and staffing.

Citizens of Potsdam near Berlin, Germany, are waiting in line on the 5th (local time) at a COVID-19 vaccination center set up inside the city hall. <이미지:연합뉴스>

Despite thorough preparations, authorities anticipate that increasing actual vaccination rates will be challenging. According to Oxford University data, in the UK, which started vaccinations first, 1.91 people per 100 have been vaccinated as of the 3rd, and in the US, 1.79 per 100. Among countries that have started vaccinations, the average is still only 0.22 per 100. Israel (18.4) and the UAE (8.98) are relatively faster. The initial supply of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines has not yet been widely distributed, limiting vaccination coverage.

Jung Eun-kyung, Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, said, "We have established a pan-governmental cooperative organization to swiftly and smoothly promote vaccine procurement and vaccination. We will diligently carry out preparations to enable early formation of successful herd immunity."

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