Could the 3rd Dose Be the Last... 160 Million Vaccine Doses to Arrive This Year

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] This year, 160 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be imported into South Korea. These will be used for the ongoing third dose vaccinations for adults and the first and second dose vaccinations for children and adolescents, with forecasts suggesting that COVID-19 vaccinations will become routine in the future. The government plans to initially secure 1,004,000 doses of oral antiviral treatments and purchase additional supplies depending on the quarantine situation.

The government plans to import approximately 160 million vaccine doses this year. This figure combines the 76.44 million doses from last year’s planned 195.34 million doses that have yet to be imported and the newly planned 90 million doses. Last year, the government imported ▲ AstraZeneca (AZ) 22.102 million doses ▲ Pfizer 67.904 million doses ▲ Moderna 25.975 million doses ▲ Janssen 2.92 million doses.

Among the direct contracts, excluding 2.102 million AZ doses and 414,000 Pfizer doses procured through the global vaccine procurement project 'COVAX Facility,' only Pfizer (67.49 million doses) and AZ (20 million doses) have completed supply. Moderna promised a total of 40.45 million doses but fell short by 14.475 million doses, and Janssen did not receive 4.48 million doses out of 7.4 million doses. The Novavax vaccine, which has not yet been approved by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has not had any of its 40 million doses imported. Although 20 million doses were to be procured through the COVAX Facility, only 2.516 million doses have been received.

The government plans to distribute the 76.44 million doses not yet imported throughout this year, considering expiration dates and domestic vaccination plans. However, since the COVAX Facility focuses more on ensuring smooth vaccine supply to developing countries rather than advanced countries, there is a high possibility that these doses may not be received.

For new purchases, contracts have been made for 60 million Pfizer doses and 20 million Moderna doses. Through the advance purchase of SK Bioscience’s 'GBP510' vaccine, 10 million doses of domestically produced vaccines will also be imported this year. Additionally, considering the 'option' secured to purchase an extra 60 million Pfizer doses if needed, the maximum number of vaccine doses that could be imported this year reaches 226 million. To this end, the government has prepared a budget of 2.6 trillion KRW.

A Janssen vaccine recipient is receiving a booster shot at Yonsei With ENT Clinic in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The government aims to guarantee the opportunity for a third dose vaccination to the majority of citizens within the first quarter of this year through these vaccine imports. To achieve this, proactive shortening of the interval between third doses and focused on-site vaccinations for the elderly are being implemented, with additional vaccination conveniences provided for the older population. The government also plans to promptly respond to adverse vaccine reactions to alleviate public concerns about vaccination.

Meanwhile, as a long-term task, the government plans to consider including COVID-19 vaccination in the national essential vaccination program to regularize vaccinations. This means discussing annual COVID-19 vaccinations similar to the influenza vaccine, which is currently administered annually with national support. Since it is uncertain when COVID-19 will end and how long vaccinations will be necessary, long-term research is required, and preparations are being made accordingly.

The duration of the preventive effect of COVID-19 vaccines remains a subject of ongoing debate. Studies have shown that the preventive effect decreases over time after completing vaccination, leading to the implementation of third dose vaccinations; however, this is not considered a permanent solution. Vaccine manufacturers such as Pfizer anticipate that the third dose’s effect may not be permanent either, suggesting that annual vaccinations might be necessary.

The oral antiviral treatments, regarded as a 'game changer,' aim to secure an initial supply for 1,004,000 people. Currently, Pfizer’s 'Paxlovid' has received emergency use authorization from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Contracts have been completed for 302,000 doses of Paxlovid and 242,000 doses of Merck (MSD)’s 'Molnupiravir,' with plans to secure an additional 400,000 doses. The additional procurement expected to be contracted this month is likely to be Paxlovid, which has already been approved domestically.

The government will also actively support the development of domestic vaccines and treatments. A cross-ministerial budget of 545.7 billion KRW has been allocated this year for basic research, research and production infrastructure, and development. The goal is to commercialize the 'first domestic vaccine' within the first half of this year by focusing support on phase 3 clinical trials. The number of 'dedicated residential treatment centers for conducting treatment clinical trials' will increase from two to seven. Various supports to foster the vaccine and raw material industries will also be expanded.

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