Government Unlikely to Request Immediate Vaccine Support from the US

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] The government is reportedly unlikely to make an immediate vaccine support request to the United States.

South Korea is evaluated to have a more stable COVID-19 situation compared to countries like India, which are mentioned as recipients of U.S. support, and since it has already contracted sufficient vaccine supplies, it is expected that the U.S. will not prioritize South Korea first.

The government is focusing more on a 'vaccine swap' with the U.S. as a contingency plan rather than direct vaccine support, so unless there is a serious disruption in vaccine procurement, it seems unlikely that the government will actively request support from the U.S.

The government is monitoring the situation as the U.S. has not disclosed any specific details.

At a briefing on the 27th, Lee Ki-il, head of the government-wide vaccine procurement TF working group, said in response to a question about plans to discuss with the U.S., "There are no concrete plans established yet," adding, "As discussions progress, we will consider the matter."

Choi Young-sam, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular briefing, "There is nothing specific to report regarding vaccine cooperation with the U.S. at this time," and added, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is making multilayered efforts to enhance vaccine cooperation between Korea and the U.S. through close communication with relevant government sectors."

This indicates that vaccine cooperation with the U.S. is focused more on establishing an institutional safety net in case the government's vaccine procurement plan encounters difficulties, rather than receiving vaccines immediately.

The vaccine swap, which involves borrowing vaccines when needed and repaying later, is also being discussed with the U.S. in this context.

Lee Sung-ho, Economic Diplomacy Coordinator at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, explained at a briefing on the 24th, "The swap is not a fundamental (vaccine) supply issue," adding, "It is about discussing cooperation measures in advance for times when we have relative surplus and the other side has relative shortages."

Considering the government’s explanation that there have been no delays in the delivery of contracted vaccine supplies from pharmaceutical companies, there seems to be little reason for the government to urgently request AstraZeneca vaccines from the U.S.

Within the government, it is also reported that some view there is no need to accept AstraZeneca vaccines, which have been controversial due to thrombotic side effects, especially after recently signing an additional contract with Pfizer for 20 million doses.

There is also a possibility that the U.S. does not consider South Korea a country in need of support.

At a briefing on the 26th, Ned Price, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, explained the reason for supporting India with raw materials necessary for vaccine production as "a commitment to help those who need it most," emphasizing it is a humanitarian effort rather than a political favor.

Although some analyses suggest the U.S. supports India due to geopolitical considerations amid U.S.-China tensions, officially, the reason cited is India’s desperate situation.

South Korea, with daily confirmed cases fluctuating between 500 and 700, cannot be considered as desperate compared to more severe countries like India, where daily cases exceed 300,000.

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