Janssen Vaccine Reservations Fully Booked on First Day... "800,000 People Reserved" (Comprehensive)

Reservation Closed Around 3:30 PM on the First Day

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] The pre-booking for 1 million doses of Janssen's COVID-19 vaccine provided by the U.S. government was completed in 15 hours and 30 minutes. As of 1 p.m. on the first day of reservation, the 1st, the number of reservations exceeded 640,000, and an additional 160,000 reservations were made within 2 hours and 30 minutes, leading to an early closure.

On the 1st, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced, "The pre-booking for the Janssen vaccine was closed on a first-come, first-served basis around 3:30 p.m. on the 1st," adding, "After confirming the number of reserved people and the actual quantity of vaccines to be delivered, a separate notice will be given regarding the possibility of additional reservations." The total number of reservations by the closing time was 800,000.

Authorities also hinted at the possibility of early termination of vaccine reservations during the regular COVID-19 briefing held on the 1st. Lee Sang-won, head of the Epidemiological Investigation and Analysis Team at the Central Disease Control Headquarters, said in the briefing, "As of 1 p.m. today, 646,000 people have completed pre-booking for the Janssen vaccine," and added, "Since the imported vaccine is for 5 doses per vial, the reservation may end early even if the number of reservations is less than 1 million."

The authorities explained that since more doses than the number of pre-booked people may need to be delivered during the shipping process, the actual vaccination reservation could end below 1 million. One vial contains 5 doses, so even if 37 people reserve, 40 doses (8 vials) must be sent.

The Janssen vaccine reservations started at midnight on the same day through the online pre-booking system. Eligible recipients include reservists aged 30 and above, civil defense personnel, and military-related workers. The original reservation period was until the 11th.

Meanwhile, unlike other vaccines, the Janssen vaccine requires only a single dose for completion. Regarding concerns that the duration of vaccine effectiveness might be shorter than other vaccines, Kim Ki-nam, head of the Vaccination Planning Division at the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, emphasized, "Janssen showed over 66% preventive efficacy and over 85% effectiveness in preventing severe cases in clinical trials with a single dose," adding, "There were also studies indicating better efficacy against the South African and Brazilian variants compared to other vaccines."

Regarding the possibility of additional doses, he said, "We are monitoring domestic and international research trends for each vaccine, and since clinical trials and studies are ongoing for each vaccine, more scientific evidence will be needed."

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