"Now Feeling Reassured"... General Public Aged 18-49 Join the Vaccine Lineup

First Day of Vaccination for Ages 18-49
High Willingness to Vaccinate Despite Side Effect Concerns

Acceleration Toward Large-Scale Vaccination
70% First Dose Target Before Chuseok

On the morning of the 26th, when full-scale vaccination for young and middle-aged adults (18-49 years old) began, a citizen is receiving the Pfizer vaccine at Sarang Hospital in Gwanak-gu, Seoul. 2021. 8. 26 Photo by Joint Press Corps

"I was wondering when I could get vaccinated, and now I finally am."

The last remaining puzzle in South Korea's COVID-19 vaccination plan, the 18-49 age group, has finally joined the vaccination lineup. On the first day of vaccinations, the 26th, an otolaryngology clinic in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, was bustling with people seeking medical treatment and those coming for vaccination. Kim Ji-eun (in her 30s), who visited the hospital for vaccination, said, "I was the only one among my family members living together who hadn't been vaccinated, so I wanted to get vaccinated quickly, and fortunately, I succeeded in making a reservation on the first day." She added, "Although I am worried about side effects, I think I can meet people with a bit more peace of mind."

Most of those getting vaccinated expressed concerns about adverse reactions but showed strong determination to get vaccinated. Won Mo (31) said, "It was so difficult to get leftover vaccines that I gave up, but when the age-based pre-reservation opportunity came, I even set a timer and barely made a reservation." He added, "Now, even if I get infected, I think the chance of becoming severe is low, so I feel much lighter."

From this day, those receiving COVID-19 vaccines nationwide through designated medical institutions and vaccination centers will be administered messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. Among Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, those who made reservations this week will receive the Pfizer vaccine. The type of vaccine to be administered later will be decided weekly based on supply conditions. Park Jeong-hoon (37), an office worker scheduled for vaccination next week, said, "I waited until now even though there was an opportunity to get the Janssen vaccine, which requires only one dose, because I wanted to get the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine with higher preventive effects." He added, "The interval between doses, which was extended to six weeks, has shortened again, so I want to complete the second dose quickly."

As vaccinations for the main target group in the third quarter, the general public under 40, began, frontline hospitals have also become busy. According to the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, as of the previous day, the pre-reservation rate for this age group was 66.9%. About 10.15 million out of 15.16 million eligible people have completed reservations. A hospital official in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, said, "Reservations are fully booked with 10 people per time slot, so we are advising people to visit the hospital according to their reservation time." He added, "Among those in their 20s and 30s who received leftover vaccines earlier, some tried to leave the hospital before the 15-minute post-vaccination waiting period was over, saying they were fine, so we hope people follow the guidance well."

With large-scale vaccinations in full swing, the government's plan to achieve first-dose vaccination for 70% of the population before the Chuseok holiday is expected to accelerate. As of midnight that day, the cumulative first-dose vaccination rate was 52.7% (27,076,636 people) of the population. Authorities have enabled more than 2 million additional reservations between October 6 and 19, just before Chuseok, by utilizing the Moderna vaccines confirmed for delivery by early September. Hong Jeong-ik, head of the Vaccination Management Team at the Promotion Team, said, "Achieving over 70% vaccination of the entire population before Chuseok is fully possible in terms of vaccine supply and vaccination capacity." He urged, "Those eligible aged 18-49 should actively participate in reservations and actually get vaccinated."

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