70.1 Million Moderna Doses Arrive Over 2 Weeks... Will Vaccine Supply Issues Be Resolved?

101 Million Doses to Be Introduced Tomorrow, 6 Million More by Next Week
Falls Short of Initially Planned 8.5 Million Doses

Active Clarification Amid Romania Vaccine Donation Controversy
"Swap Discussions Underway... Not Vaccines Nearing Expiry"

Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine
[Image Source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Moderna, which had initially announced a 'half-cut' supply of 8.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines scheduled for this month, has promised to deliver more vaccines again. However, the quantity will not reach the originally planned 8.5 million doses, with a maximum of 8.31 million doses expected to be supplied within this month.

On the 22nd, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters of the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that Moderna had conveyed a plan to supply 7.01 million doses of vaccines to South Korea by next week. Of these, 1.01 million doses are scheduled to arrive at Incheon International Airport around 2:40 PM on the 23rd. The remaining 6 million doses will be introduced sequentially by the first week of September (the last week of August).

Earlier, on the 6th, Moderna reported a global supply disruption of its COVID-19 vaccines due to issues in its manufacturing laboratory and notified that it would supply less than half of the 8.5 million doses originally promised to the South Korean government.

Concerned about the vaccine supply disruption, the government urgently dispatched a delegation of four members, including Kang Do-tae, the 2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, and Ryu Geun-hyeok, the Blue House Social Policy Secretary, to the United States on the 13th. The delegation visited Moderna's headquarters in Cambridge and met with Corinne Le Goff, Moderna's Chief Commercial Officer, on the 13th (local time) to discuss vaccine supply disruptions and stabilization measures. Moderna promised to finalize and re-notify the vaccine supply plan for South Korea by the end of this week.

Following these discussions, Moderna accepted South Korea's request to advance the supply schedule and increase the quantity, informing the government that it would supply 7.01 million doses by next week.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Including the 1.3 million doses supplied on the 7th, up to 8.31 million Moderna vaccine doses are planned to be introduced within this month. Although this still falls short of the originally promised 8.5 million doses, it is a significant increase compared to the 'half-cut' quantity caused by production disruptions.

Authorities expect that with the resolution of the feared large-scale suspension of Moderna vaccine supplies, vaccination efforts can be carried out more steadily. There is also expected momentum toward achieving the first-dose vaccination of 36 million people, which is 70% of the total population, by Chuseok (September 21) at the earliest.

Vice Minister Kang Do-tae said, "We initially established the vaccination plan reflecting the uncertainty of Moderna vaccine supply to achieve the first-dose vaccination of 36 million people by Chuseok. With the expansion of Moderna's supply this time, achieving the goal has become more stable."

On the 20th, citizens are getting tested at the Jung-gu temporary screening clinic set up at Seoul Station Plaza. Photo by Moohonam munonam@

Meanwhile, the government also addressed the controversy that arose the day before regarding Romania's free donation of Moderna vaccines. The government stated, "Currently, we are conducting consultations on mutual provision of vaccines and medical devices for cooperation in necessary quarantine areas with Romania," but clarified, "The discussions are at the level of vaccine swaps, and the Romanian government's donation of Moderna vaccines is not true."

Regarding suspicions that Romania might be donating vaccines nearing their expiration date, the government also denied the claims. It said, "The vaccines under discussion have an expiration date after November," and "They are quantities with sufficient remaining shelf life and are not vaccines nearing disposal."

Local Romanian media reported the day before that the Romanian government had confirmed a donation of 450,000 Moderna vaccine doses to South Korea. These vaccines were said to be nearing their expiration date due to the slow pace of summer vaccinations in Romania.

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