74.2 Million People in Their 50s to Receive Moderna Starting from the 26th... Pfizer for High School Seniors, School Staff, and Enlisted Soldiers

On the 21st of last month, when Moderna vaccinations for medical personnel under 30 at tertiary hospitals officially began, medical staff received the Moderna vaccine at the vaccination center of Seoul St. Mary's Hospital in Seocho-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Starting from the 26th, Moderna COVID-19 vaccinations will be administered to approximately 7.42 million general citizens in their 50s. In addition, Pfizer vaccinations for high school seniors, elementary, middle, and high school staff, childcare workers at daycare centers and kindergartens, and soldiers scheduled to enlist will begin within this month.

The COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team announced the "July Vaccination Implementation Plan" containing these details on the 1st.

The main points of the July implementation plan are broadly fourfold: ▲ Priority vaccination for unvaccinated individuals from the June target groups (Pfizer and Moderna) ▲ Priority vaccination for college entrance exam candidates, daycare centers, kindergartens, and elementary, middle, and high school staff (Pfizer) ▲ Rapid nationwide vaccination starting with people in their 50s (Moderna) ▲ Facilitating vaccination convenience through local government autonomous vaccinations and workplace vaccinations (Moderna).

First, vaccinations will begin on the 5th for 297,000 people from the June target groups who could not get vaccinated due to a surge in pre-registrations or health issues, and 110,000 social essential workers under 30 years old who could not receive the AZ vaccine due to age restrictions.

Among them, 197,000 people who made excess reservations and 110,000 people restricted from receiving the AZ vaccine completed their pre-registrations by the 30th of last month. They will receive the Pfizer vaccine at vaccination centers from the 5th to the 17th.

100,000 people who canceled their reservations or postponed vaccination due to health reasons will receive the Moderna vaccine at designated medical institutions from the 26th to the 31st. Their pre-registration will take place from the 12th to the 17th.

On June 3, when the first mock test for the 2022 College Scholastic Ability Test was conducted, students at Yeouido Girls' High School in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, were receiving their exam papers.

Secondly, approximately 1.92 million education and childcare workers and college entrance exam candidates will receive the Pfizer vaccine starting from the 19th. First, 640,000 high school seniors and high school staff will receive the Pfizer vaccine at vaccination centers by school starting on the 19th. Other college entrance exam candidates, about 150,000, will have their target lists secured in July and will be vaccinated at designated medical institutions next month.

Additionally, 1.126 million daycare center, kindergarten, and elementary and middle school staff, as well as child welfare and care facility workers, will receive the Pfizer vaccine at designated medical institutions starting from the 28th. Pre-registration will be held from the 14th to the 17th.

Thirdly, the vaccination age for the general public will be lowered to those in their 50s. The target group includes 3.524 million people aged 55-59 and 3.9 million people aged 50-54, totaling approximately 7.424 million.

Pre-registration for the 55-59 age group will be conducted from the 12th to the 17th, followed by pre-registration for the entire 50s age group from the 19th to the 24th. Those who made reservations during the first pre-registration will receive the Moderna vaccine at nationwide vaccination centers or designated medical institutions starting from the 26th, and those who reserved in the second round will be vaccinated from the 9th of next month. Those who miss pre-registration will be able to register sequentially at 1-2 week intervals according to vaccine supply.

Finished vehicles are waiting in the storage yard of Hyundai Motor's Ulsan plant. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Lastly, to enhance vaccination convenience and speed, autonomous vaccinations by businesses and local governments will also be promoted.

Workplace vaccinations target large-scale workplaces such as steel and automobile industries that require continuous operation and have affiliated clinics. Currently, 44 workplaces have applied. Approximately 390,000 people, including employees of partner companies, will be vaccinated using the Moderna vaccine starting at the end of this month. Vaccinations will begin with those in their 50s, in line with the general public vaccination age.

Local government autonomous vaccinations will also be conducted. Starting from the end of this month or early next month, vaccination targets will be selected and timely vaccinations will be carried out considering the characteristics and quarantine situations of each local government to protect high-risk groups, block transmission, and respond to quarantine situations.

Local government autonomous vaccinations will select targets based on the Disease Control and Prevention Agency's guidelines within the allocated quantities for each city and province. Vaccinations will be administered at public health centers, vaccination centers, or designated medical institutions according to local government plans. Each city and province will establish vaccination plans considering local characteristics (population composition, industrial structure, etc.) and quarantine situations, and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will conduct regular inspections and evaluations.

Additionally, to prevent infections within military units where group living occurs, pre-enlistment vaccinations for soldiers will begin on the 12th. Approximately 70,000 soldiers scheduled to enlist between July and September will receive the Pfizer vaccine. Eligible individuals must register as targets by presenting enlistment notices at public health centers and then schedule vaccination appointments at vaccination centers to receive the vaccine.

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