Starting Next Month, 50,000 Medical Staff to Begin Vaccination... 33.25 Million Vaccinations Expected in Q3

Plan to Achieve Herd Immunity in November

As the government announced detailed implementation plans for COVID-19 vaccination, medical staff and soldiers are moving at the Central COVID-19 Vaccination Center at the National Medical Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 29th. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] Domestic COVID-19 vaccination will begin next month targeting 50,000 people, including medical staff at COVID-19 dedicated hospitals.

According to the COVID-19 vaccination plan announced by the government on the 28th, vaccinations will start sequentially from February, with 10.3 million people, or 20% of the total population, receiving vaccinations in the first half of this year. General adults aged 19 to 64 can receive vaccinations from the third quarter through advance reservations.

In the second half of this year, vaccinations will begin for 33.25 million people, with the goal of completing the first dose by September and achieving herd immunity by November. If there are reasons such as urgent overseas travel for essential public duties or important economic activities, or if the destination country requires a vaccination certificate, vaccinations can be received from the second quarter.

However, since there may be controversies, vaccinations will be administered only after strict review by relevant ministries such as the Ministry of Industry, SMEs and Startups, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, followed by approval from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Overseas Koreans will also be vaccinated in order, and foreigners can receive vaccinations as well.

Although all citizens are eligible for free COVID-19 vaccination, pregnant women and children and adolescents under 18, who were not included in clinical trials during vaccine development, are excluded from vaccination. If vaccination is refused and reservations are not made within the vaccination period, the priority will be postponed to after the fourth quarter. However, if acute symptoms such as a fever of 37.5°C or higher occur on the day of vaccination after making a reservation, the appointment can be adjusted to vaccinate after recovery.

No choice of vaccine... Concerns about delays due to concentration of vaccinations in the third quarter

Even if various types of vaccines are available, individuals cannot choose which vaccine to receive. The KDCA explained, "To vaccinate as many people as possible as soon as possible, it is necessary to minimize confusion at vaccination sites by conducting vaccinations according to the order of vaccination rather than the type of vaccine," adding, "Countries such as the United States and Europe also do not recognize individual vaccine choice."

Vaccinations will be administered at vaccination centers and designated medical institutions. At 250 vaccination centers nationwide, messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines such as Pfizer and Moderna will be administered, while at 10,000 designated private medical institutions, viral vector vaccines such as AstraZeneca and Janssen will be administered. ‘Visiting vaccination services’ will be provided to elderly residents in group living facilities such as nursing homes.

In particular, thorough preparation is a future task as the majority of the population will be vaccinated in the third quarter. Vaccinations for 33.25 million adults will be concentrated in the third quarter, which may cause shortages of medical staff.

Except for the Janssen vaccine, the three vaccines require two doses, with intervals of 21 days (Pfizer) and 28 days (AstraZeneca and Moderna), respectively. Generally, it takes about two weeks after vaccination for protective antibodies to form.

The KDCA stated, "It has been reported that antibody levels are highest 7 to 14 days after the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine," and emphasized, "It is very important to complete the second dose within the recommended period for each vaccine to achieve maximum vaccine effectiveness." If the second dose is delayed due to a temporary surge in vaccinations in the third quarter, it should be received as soon as possible. However, even if the second dose is delayed, there is no need to restart the first dose.

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