Starting at 0:00 on the 1st of next month, Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine First-Come, First-Served Registration Begins

Janssen (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine
[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] As a result of the Korea-US summit, advance reservations for the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine donated by the US government will begin at midnight on the 1st of next month.

On the 31st, the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team announced, "Starting tomorrow (June 1), advance reservations will be accepted for 1,012,800 doses of the Janssen vaccine donated by the US government as a follow-up measure to the Korea-US summit."

Actual vaccinations will begin on the 10th of next month. The vaccination targets are reservists and civil defense personnel aged 30 and over, as well as military-related workers. Military-related workers include Ministry of National Defense, Defense Acquisition Program Administration, and Military Manpower Administration officials, fixed-entry civilian personnel, employees of Ministry of National Defense-affiliated organizations, families of professional soldiers (spouses and children, cohabiting direct ascendants, siblings, etc.), and fixed-entry civilian personnel at military units.

The biggest advantage of the Janssen vaccine is that it was developed as a single-dose vaccine. Unlike other vaccines that provide incentives separately for the first and second doses, all incentives apply with just one dose. For example, if a person receives the first dose on June 16, Janssen vaccine recipients will be exempt from all private gathering restrictions starting in July. In contrast, AZ vaccine recipients must wait 11 weeks to receive the second dose and then an additional two weeks, so they can only enjoy the benefits of being fully vaccinated around mid-September.

Janssen vaccine administration will be conducted at designated medical institutions through advance reservations, similar to the ongoing AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine vaccinations for seniors aged 60 and over.

Those pre-notified as vaccination targets by the Ministry of National Defense and related agencies, as well as reservists and civil defense personnel, can make advance reservations starting at midnight on June 1 through the COVID-19 Vaccination Advance Reservation Site (website and mobile). Vaccinations will be conducted from June 10 to 20.

However, while the total number of people selected for vaccination by the government reaches 3,715,000, the number of vaccines introduced this time is limited to 1,012,800 doses. This means only 27.3% of the vaccination targets can be vaccinated this time. Therefore, reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis for about one million people, and those who fail to make a reservation will be vaccinated according to the general public vaccination plan from July to September.

Considering that the vaccination targets are men in their 30s who are quick to obtain information, there is a possibility of a "vaccine ticketing chaos" if advance reservations flood in. Already, the AZ vaccine advance reservation system saw only 4,229 people successfully vaccinated through it on the first day of its introduction, highlighting the shortage of leftover vaccines.

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