Ahead of Next Month's COVID-19 Vaccination, Joint Parliamentary Committee on Health and Welfare... "Support and Cooperation"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] Ahead of the COVID-19 vaccination scheduled for next month, the medical community and the government have agreed to share the main vaccination plans in advance and to cooperate as much as possible in supporting medical resources and personnel.

On the morning of the 26th, the medical community and the government held the first meeting of the "COVID-19 Vaccine Medical-Government Joint Committee" at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency in Osong, Chungbuk, and shared the COVID-19 vaccination plan to be announced on the 28th in advance. Since the goal is to achieve herd immunity by November, multiple vaccine platforms must be administered within a short period, and it is essential to deploy all available public and private medical resources, making cooperation between the medical community and the government indispensable.

Additionally, to prevent cases of vaccine side effects in some countries from spreading public anxiety, there is a need for expert groups to provide the public with accurate information based on evidence.

The Joint Committee was formed to strengthen cooperation between the medical community and the government. The committee consists of six members: the presidents of three medical associations?the Korean Medical Association, the Korean Hospital Association, and the Korean Nurses Association?and the heads of three government agencies related to vaccination?the Minister of Health and Welfare, the Commissioner of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and the Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

A working committee under the Joint Committee will hold meetings regularly to prepare in advance and cooperate according to the progress of the vaccination.

At the first meeting held that day, the main contents of the vaccination plan were shared, and ways to cooperate between the medical community and the government to ensure the successful implementation of vaccinations in medical settings were discussed. Consultations were also held on joint public messages regarding vaccination, securing vaccination personnel, and selecting entrusted medical institutions.

The medical community and the government reached a consensus that the safety of the public must be the top priority during vaccination and that accurate information based on scientific evidence needs to be transparently provided to the public.

Minister Kwon Deok-cheol of the Ministry of Health and Welfare said, "Only the formation of herd immunity through vaccination can end the COVID-19 crisis," adding, "If the medical community and the government unite to successfully complete the vaccination, our country, a model in quarantine, is expected to overcome the COVID-19 national crisis successfully in the near future."

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