Jeonnam Province to Begin COVID-19 Vaccinations for Medical Staff and Workers from Mid-Month

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] Jeonnam Province announced on the 3rd that COVID-19 vaccination will be carried out for 57,000 high-risk groups, including medical staff and medical facility workers, starting from mid-this month.

In Jeonnam, out of 1.85 million people, 1.56 million, excluding children, adolescents, and pregnant women, are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination.

The vaccination order was decided based on the government announcement, considering the risk of severe progression such as death from COVID-19 infection, as well as the maintenance of medical and quarantine systems.

First, in the first quarter, starting from mid-this month, vaccination will be conducted for high-risk groups such as ▲medical staff at COVID-19 dedicated hospitals ▲workers and residents of nursing hospitals and facilities ▲healthcare workers at medical institutions frequently used by severe patients and COVID-19 response personnel.

In the second quarter, vaccination will be given to 471,000 people, including residents and workers of vulnerable facilities such as elderly home welfare facilities and facilities for people with disabilities, as well as those aged 65 and older.

From the second half of the year, vaccination will begin for adults aged 19 to 64 and chronic patients, covering more than 70% of the entire provincial population to form herd immunity. Vaccination will be divided quarterly, with 1,033,000 people in the third quarter and 289,000 people in the fourth quarter.

The vaccination institutions are divided according to the target group. Medical staff at COVID-19 dedicated hospitals will be vaccinated at the regional vaccination center, Chosun University Hospital, while workers at medical institutions such as nursing hospitals can be vaccinated at their own medical institutions.

For those with mobility difficulties, such as residents of elderly nursing facilities and facilities for people with severe disabilities, the public health center will organize a visiting vaccination team to provide on-site vaccination.

Residents can use vaccination centers, which are planned to be installed at least one in each of the 22 cities and counties in the province, and entrusted medical institutions. To ensure smooth vaccination, a dedicated COVID-19 vaccination system will be established, and advance reservations can be made via the internet, phone, or in person.

Kang Young-gu, Director of the Jeonnam Provincial Health and Welfare Bureau, said, “We will thoroughly prepare in advance, including vaccine management and safety education, to ensure rapid and safe COVID-19 vaccination.”

Meanwhile, Jeonnam Province is proactively securing personnel by recently proposing to the government to allow third- and fourth-year nursing college students in the province to participate in COVID-19 vaccination to be recognized as practical training hours, aiming to resolve the shortage of medical personnel due to COVID-19 vaccination.

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