Island Residents Without Medical Facilities Receive Vaccinations on Navy Ship

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Residents of island areas without medical facilities receive COVID-19 vaccination on the Navy training ship Hansando (4,500-ton class).

On the 11th, the Navy announced that on this day, a simulation drill would be conducted at Mokpo Port Daebul Pier in cooperation with the COVID-19 Vaccine Transport Support Headquarters and Jeollanam-do using the Hansando ship.

The simulation drill was planned to finalize the preparation status for administering the Janssen vaccine on the Hansando and to practice the resident support procedures. The drill is conducted under a virtual scenario following the same procedures as in reality.

High-speed rigid inflatable boats (RIB) and landing crafts loaded on the Hansando are lowered into the sea and sent to the island to pick up residents eligible for vaccination. After identity verification and temperature checks, residents arrive at the ship, climb ladders to move to the vaccination area, and those with mobility difficulties use wheelchairs to board the elevator and move.

Vaccinations take place in the ship’s hangar, where the Navy has installed partitions to separate the vaccination area and movement paths. Residents undergo identity verification, complete a medical questionnaire, receive a preliminary examination by a military doctor, get vaccinated, and then wait for 30 minutes in the observation area. Residents without adverse reactions return to the island following the same procedures, concluding the drill.

If any adverse reactions occur after vaccination, the individual is immediately transported to the ship’s operating room (recovery room) for emergency treatment. If a severe adverse reaction is expected, vaccination is halted, and the patient is evacuated to a land hospital using a Coast Guard patient transfer helicopter.

The vaccine administered to island residents this time is the Janssen vaccine provided by the U.S. government through the Korea-U.S. summit. The Janssen vaccine is considered suitable for island residents with relatively limited mobility because it provides immunity with a single dose.

Previously, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency designated the Hansando as a temporary vaccination center for island areas to facilitate smooth vaccination support and formed an integrated organization including personnel from the Navy, Coast Guard, and Jeollanam-do.

For this vaccination, five medical personnel are assigned to the Hansando, including one military doctor and four medical non-commissioned officers who have completed COVID-19 vaccination training. The ship is equipped with two medical refrigerators to store the Janssen vaccine, which must be kept between 2 and 8°C, and has contingency plans for power outages.

Wheelchairs are provided for residents with mobility difficulties, and convenience items such as cots and blankets are prepared in the observation area. Guides are stationed along movement paths, and cushioning materials and safety signs are attached to ship structures and protrusions to ensure resident safety.

The Navy stated, "In the joint inspection conducted before the simulation drill, the Disease Control Agency, Fire Agency, Electric Corporation, and Gas Corporation jointly inspected the ship’s fire-fighting equipment, evacuation equipment installation and management status, emergency power supply devices, and fire hazards."

Commander Jo Wan-hee (Lieutenant Colonel) said, "Protecting the lives of the people is the military’s most important mission," and added, "We will carry out the mission of supporting vaccination for island residents without any gaps."

The Hansando is the Navy’s first training ship, launched in November 2018 and commissioned on October 22, 2020.

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