'Return to Daily Life' Takes First Step This Week... Vaccinations Begin on the 26th

Vaccination for Nursing Hospitals with AstraZeneca on the 26th
Vaccination for COVID-19 Treatment Hospitals with Pfizer Starts on the 27th

70% Vaccination by September, Herd Immunity Goal by November
Skepticism Abroad: "Korea May Achieve It Only by Mid-Next Year"

On the afternoon of the 9th, medical staff administered vaccines to training participants during a vaccine inoculation drill held at the Comprehensive Cancer Prevention Vaccination Center of the National Medical Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Domestic COVID-19 vaccinations, led by AstraZeneca and Pfizer, will begin on the 26th.

As the first step toward returning to normal life draws attention, the government aims to achieve herd immunity by November, but skepticism about this goal has also been raised.

How high will the vaccination rate be?

According to the government on the 22nd, AstraZeneca vaccines will be shipped and supplied from the SK Bioscience factory in Andong-si, Gyeongbuk, starting on the 24th, and vaccinations will begin on the 26th targeting residents and workers in nursing hospitals, elderly care, psychiatric care, and rehabilitation facilities. The government decided that there is not yet sufficient safety data for vaccinating the elderly with the AstraZeneca vaccine, so vaccinations will only be administered to residents and workers under the age of 65.

According to government statistics, as of the 20th, out of 308,930 registered vaccination candidates in all nursing hospitals and facilities, 289,271 (93.6%) expressed willingness to be vaccinated. By facility type, the consent rate was slightly higher at 95.5% for elderly care and psychiatric/rehabilitation facilities compared to 92.7% for nursing hospitals.

The Pfizer vaccine, which will be introduced to Korea on the 26th and vaccinations will start the following day, targets medical staff at hospitals treating COVID-19 patients. Among 58,029 eligible individuals, 54,910 (94.6%) expressed willingness to be vaccinated.

The government seems to be breathing a sigh of relief as the vaccination consent rate is quite high. Last year, criticism arose over insufficient vaccine procurement, and after Kim Tae-nyeon, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said, "(In the U.S.) various side effects such as allergic reactions and facial paralysis have been reported after vaccination," and Son Young-rae, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated, "It is preferable to avoid being the first in the world to receive the vaccine," implying it was fortunate to be able to observe potential issues, the ruling party and government misled the public about vaccine risks. This was followed by controversy over AstraZeneca vaccine administration to the elderly, continuing the debate over vaccine safety.

However, with 93.8% of the initial vaccination candidates (344,181 people) agreeing to be vaccinated, concerns about large-scale refusal appear to have been alleviated. On the 22nd, Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party, said at the Supreme Council meeting, "Vaccines are in the realm of science," and stated that AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Moderna vaccines have all been recognized for their safety.

However, about 3,000 medical personnel have expressed refusal to be vaccinated, and considering last-minute changes of mind or inability to get vaccinated on the day, the vaccination rate may decline further. Kwon Deok-cheol, Minister of Health and Welfare, said, "Since vaccination is performed with the individual's consent, it cannot be forced," and added, "We will continue to persuade people of the necessity of vaccination."

Uncertainty over herd immunity by November

The government's vaccination goal is to complete the first dose for 70% of the population by September and achieve herd immunity by November. Regarding this, Professor Jung Jae-hoon of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Gachon University Gil Medical Center said, "It needs to be higher than 70%," and added, "It is uncertain whether herd immunity will be formed at that level." Professor Jung also noted, "Since those under 18 years old are excluded from vaccination targets and antibody positivity rates are low due to successful containment, the vaccination rate needs to be higher."

On the 22nd, medical staff are moving at the COVID-19 Central Vaccination Center set up at the National Medical Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. COVID-19 vaccinations are scheduled to begin on the 26th. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

Such concerns are also emerging overseas. On the 21st (local time), the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a British economic analysis organization, predicted that the formation of herd immunity in countries including Korea, Japan, Australia, and Russia will occur by mid-next year. The EIU cited that wealthy countries have pre-ordered half of the 12.5 billion vaccine doses expected to be produced this year?6.4 billion doses?meaning other countries will face difficulties in vaccine supply.

They also predicted that vaccine hesitancy will affect vaccine distribution. In Korea, a Gallup Korea survey conducted from the 16th to 18th among 1,000 people aged 18 and over nationwide found that only 71% expressed willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Meanwhile, as of midnight on the 22nd, the number of new COVID-19 cases was 332, dropping to the 300s for the first time in a week since the 15th. However, with 32,191 tests conducted, a 24.6% decrease compared to 42,689 tests (416 confirmed cases) the previous day, some point out this is a temporary decline due to the weekend effect.

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