Gwangju City Aims for 70% COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage Among All Citizens by November

Priority Vaccination Recipients to Receive Sequential Inoculations from Q1 Based on Vaccine Supply Timing and Quantity

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Gwangju Metropolitan City has set a goal of vaccinating 70% of all its citizens against COVID-19.

To achieve herd immunity, Gwangju plans to complete vaccinations for 1,015,000 out of its 1.45 million citizens by November.

According to Gwangju City on the 15th, COVID-19 vaccinations will begin as early as the 26th of this month.

The first target group includes inpatients and residents, as well as workers under the age of 65, at nursing hospitals and facilities. There are 15,064 people across 153 locations.

AstraZeneca vaccines will be administered, with the first dose scheduled for February to March and the second dose for April to May. Hospitals will conduct vaccinations themselves, while nursing homes and similar facilities may receive on-site vaccinations (through entrusted medical institutions or public health center visiting teams).

Vaccinations are also planned next month for 14,415 high-risk medical institution workers at 106 locations, including staff at tertiary general hospitals, general hospitals, and hospitals. Vaccinations can be done at the medical institutions themselves or by visiting public health centers.

In addition, first responders to COVID-19 such as 119 ambulance teams, epidemiological investigators, quarantine officers, specimen collectors, testers, transporters, and laboratory personnel are scheduled to be vaccinated next month. Vaccinations will primarily be conducted at public health centers.

Staff at hospitals treating COVID-19 patients will also be vaccinated next month. However, Gwangju City explained that this schedule may be somewhat flexible depending on the supply situation of the Pfizer vaccine.

To ensure smooth vaccination, Gwangju City has formed a vaccination implementation promotion team, a regional consultative body, and a rapid response team for adverse reaction management involving both public and private sectors. They have also discussed securing medical personnel with the regional consultative body.

Earlier this month, they secured locations for regional vaccination centers, held preparatory meetings, selected vaccination centers, and conducted on-site inspections.

Chosun University Hospital’s Gwangju e-Sports Stadium will serve as a regional vaccination center and is expected to be completed this month. Yeomju Sports Complex in Seo-gu will open next month, and four other centers are planned for July.

In the last week of this month, a simulation drill will be conducted to review vaccination preparation status and address any issues.

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