Pfizer Secures Additional 20 Million Doses... Will It Accelerate Herd Immunity by November?

Pfizer Secures Additional 100 Million Vaccine Doses
Expectations for Herd Immunity Before November

Key Issue: 'Actual Introduction Timing'... Global Supply Shortage a Variable

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] The government has secured an additional 20 million doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, easing the vaccine supply situation for the time being. In particular, unlike the AstraZeneca (AZ) or Janssen vaccines, the Pfizer vaccine is free from blood clot controversies. However, due to blood clot issues with other vaccine products, the global preference for mRNA-based vaccines such as Pfizer and Moderna is increasing, which is considered a factor that makes future supply uncertain.

The Pan-Government Vaccine Procurement Task Force held an emergency briefing on the 24th and announced that it had signed an additional purchase contract for 40 million doses (20 million people) of the Pfizer vaccine. As a result, the total number of Pfizer vaccine doses secured by South Korea to date has reached 66 million. Including Pfizer, the total vaccines to be imported by the end of the year?AZ, Janssen, Moderna, Novavax, etc.?have increased to 192 million doses (99 million people). This amount is 2.75 times the vaccination target of 36 million people for herd immunity and enough for the entire population to be vaccinated 1.9 times.

Kwon Deok-cheol, head of the Vaccine Procurement Task Force (Minister of Health and Welfare), explained, "This additional purchase has laid the foundation to advance the timing of achieving herd immunity," adding, "It also allows us to proactively prepare for additional future demand such as expanding vaccination to those under 18 and third doses to respond to variant viruses."

Accordingly, South Korea has secured a sufficient quantity of vaccines. If about 20 million doses are supplied by the second quarter as planned by the government, and 80 million doses in the third quarter and 90 million doses in the fourth quarter are smoothly supplied, there is ample room to advance the herd immunity achievement target earlier than the original November goal.

The issue lies in the specific timing of procurement. Due to the global emergency in vaccine supply, it is uncertain whether the contracted quantities can be delivered domestically on time. Above all, global demand is concentrated on mRNA-based vaccines like Pfizer, maintaining uncertainty. The European Union (EU) has already entered negotiations to sign a contract to receive 1.8 billion doses of the Pfizer vaccine after next year.

In fact, South Korea has not yet finalized the initial delivery schedule for vaccines such as Moderna even for the second quarter. The third-quarter supply, expected to be detailed after next month, also cannot exclude the possibility of changes.

In preparation for such supply uncertainties, the government has begun preparations to verify the safety and efficacy of various vaccines beyond the quantities already secured. Lee Ki-il, head of the TF practical support group, stated, "Although sufficient quantities for herd immunity have been secured, it is necessary to verify the safety and efficacy of several other vaccines," adding, "We are monitoring the approval status of international communities such as the EU." The products the government intends to additionally verify for quality are expected to include Russia's Sputnik V and China's Sinopharm vaccines.

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