Authorities "Making efforts to secure vaccines... Please stop the futile debate"

Son Young-rae, Head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] The quarantine authorities recently appealed to stop unnecessary debates, stating that the COVID-19 vaccine supply issue is turning into an unproductive and exhausting argument. Conflicts over future vaccine supply, which has not yet been confirmed, are pushing aside urgent discussions such as promoting safe vaccinations and adjusting the quarantine system.

On the morning of the 22nd, Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said during a back briefing, "The current vaccine supply debate is progressing in an exhausting manner," adding, "It is judged to be unproductive and not significantly helpful for vaccination and quarantine."

Son explained, "The main aspect of the current debate is criticism that the government is at fault because vaccines cannot be supplied as planned, while the government insists it will continue to secure supply," and analyzed, "Different predictions about future possibilities, not the current situation, are being presented, intensifying responsibility disputes over future issues." He expressed regret, saying the recent vaccine supply issue is "a matter of disputing possibilities," and "it cannot be known until the future point is reached, and it may not be resolved until the second half of the year."

He explained, "The vaccines scheduled to be supplied this year amount to 152 million doses, enough to vaccinate 79 million people, exceeding the domestic population," and added, "Additional quantities are also being secured concurrently, considering variant viruses and the possibility of a third dose." He also stated, "So far, no pharmaceutical company has violated contracts, and the government will do its best to secure the target quantities."

On the 1st, President Moon Jae-in visited the SK Bioscience factory in Andong, Gyeongbuk, to inspect the COVID-19 vaccines produced there. The Andong SK Bioscience factory is currently producing the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine, and Novavax vaccines are also scheduled to be produced starting in June. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Recently, concerns about vaccine supply have been growing as the domestic introduction of Moderna (20 million doses), Novavax (20 million doses), and Janssen (6 million doses) COVID-19 vaccines, initially scheduled for the second quarter, has been postponed to the second half of this year or remains unconfirmed. Meanwhile, the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine, which is practically being supplied stably, has been excluded from vaccination targets for those under 30 in Korea due to safety controversies over 'rare thrombosis accompanied by thrombocytopenia.' In this context, as countries worldwide are focusing on securing messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines such as Pfizer and Moderna, known for fewer adverse reactions post-vaccination, social controversies related to vaccine supply are intensifying domestically as well.

Son expressed frustration that as these debates intensify, "important social discussions are being neglected." He said, "Discussions on safely expanding vaccinations and how to change social distancing or the existing quarantine system accordingly are not taking place," noting that even opinion leaders such as quarantine authorities and experts are having their capacities dispersed.

Finally, Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division, emphasized, "Please pay attention to how social responses will be improved through quarantine in the future," and stressed, "As I have repeatedly said, we will definitely achieve the first dose vaccination of 12 million people, including the elderly, by the end of June."

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