Government in Final Negotiations to Procure 10 Million Doses of Novavax Vaccine
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] It was confirmed on the 12th that the government is in the final stages of negotiations to purchase an additional 10 million doses of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine.
In addition to the four types of vaccines already contracted for domestic introduction, the additional vaccine to be imported is from the U.S. pharmaceutical company Novavax. The quantity is about 10 million doses, and it is known that there is a possibility of introduction as early as the second quarter of this year. However, a government official drew a line, saying, "We will provide detailed information as soon as the contract is finalized."
Earlier, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun also stated at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting on the morning of the same day, "We have been making efforts to additionally introduce vaccines from another platform, and there has been considerable progress recently." Prime Minister Chung explained the necessity of additional vaccine procurement, saying, "Even if vaccinated, it is still unknown how long immunity will last, there is a possibility of safety issues, and if the vaccination speed is not accelerated, vaccines may have to be discarded due to their short shelf life."
The Novavax vaccine induces an immune response by directly injecting antigen proteins made using genetic recombination technology, which is one of the most widely used vaccine platforms. This vaccine has a long shelf life of 2 to 3 years and is evaluated as a product that can complement the four vaccines scheduled to be introduced.
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So far, our government has secured COVID-19 vaccines sufficient for a total of 56 million people. This includes 10 million doses from the multinational pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, 6 million doses from Janssen, 10 million doses from Pfizer, and 20 million doses from Moderna, as well as 10 million doses supplied through the international project for joint vaccine purchase and distribution called the 'COVAX facility,' which are planned to be introduced domestically.
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