Authorities: "Careful Verification Needed on Daegu City's Pfizer Vaccine Introduction Rumors... Authenticity Under Review (Update)"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] Authorities have stated that careful verification is needed regarding media reports that Daegu City is independently pursuing the import of 30 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19 prevention, separate from the government's procurement.

On the 1st, Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said in a background briefing, "A foreign trading company in Daegu has proposed supplying tens of millions of doses produced by BioNTech, but this is not a proposal from Pfizer or BioNTech," adding, "We have requested Pfizer to verify the authenticity of the products and are currently confirming."

On the same day, a media outlet reported that Daegu City, the Daegu Medical Association, and the medical organization MedCity Daegu Council are pushing to import quantities separate from the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines secured by the government.

Son stated, "We believe that only Pfizer contracts vaccine supply with the Korean government," and raised doubts, saying, "Pfizer and BioNTech currently supply vaccines only to national-level entities or supranational organizations like COVAX, so it is necessary to verify how a private trading company could possess the products."

He continued, "In the case of the AstraZeneca vaccine, there were proposals from foreign private companies or individuals claiming they could supply it, but upon verification, many were not feasible, so we are carefully verifying such proposals."

Son also said, "Even if the products are genuine, certification regarding the vaccine's quality and safety is necessary," adding, "Pfizer vaccines have strict storage requirements, and if refrigeration conditions are not maintained, there is a risk of deterioration."

He further stated, "Quality certification and approval processes by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety are separately required," and "It is necessary to verify the manufacturing facility of the vaccine, and since the dosage information provided by the foreign trading company differs from what Pfizer has given, we are verifying the proposed vaccine information and confirming the authenticity with the global headquarters."

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