This Year, 150 Million Vaccine Doses to Be Introduced... Focus on Third Dose Vaccinations in the First Half

Newly Introduced Vaccines 80 Million Doses, Last Year's Carried-Over Vaccines 70.44 Million Doses

On October 10, 94,000 doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, provided through mutual donation cooperation with the UK government, arrived at Incheon International Airport. Photo by Airport Photojournalists Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] This year, 150 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 may become routine in the future.

Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH), stated during the regular COVID-19 briefing on the morning of the 5th, "The government has secured 150.44 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for use in 2022 vaccinations through new purchases and carryover from 2021 supplies," he said.

Among these, the newly purchased doses include a total of 80 million doses: 60 million doses of the messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine Pfizer and 20 million doses of the Moderna vaccine. The first shipment of 462,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine is scheduled to arrive at Incheon International Airport on the afternoon of the 6th. The 'option' contract for an additional 60 million doses of Pfizer vaccine, which can be purchased if needed, and the 10 million doses of domestically produced vaccine procured through SK Bioscience's pre-purchase of the 'GBP510' vaccine are not included in this total.

The carryover volume of 70.44 million doses from vaccines scheduled for introduction last year is currently being negotiated with pharmaceutical companies to be supplied in a distributed manner through this year, considering vaccination plans and vaccine expiration dates. Of the total 195.34 million doses planned for import last year, only 118.9 million doses were delivered, and 76.44 million doses were not.

In October, the Moderna vaccine, contract-manufactured at the Samsung Biologics vaccine factory in Songdo, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, was shipped domestically for the first time. / Photo by Joint Press Corps

Moderna had promised a total of 40.45 million doses but fell short by 14.475 million doses, and Janssen did not deliver 4.49 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 authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), was not imported at all for the 40 million doses planned. Vaccines procured through the COVAX Facility were also planned at 20 million doses, but about 17.48 million doses were not delivered. Among these, the Moderna vaccine carryover was reduced by 6 million doses through negotiations with the pharmaceutical company, resulting in 8.475 million doses carried over, making the total carryover volume 70.44 million doses.

The government plans to guarantee the opportunity for a third dose vaccination to the majority of the population within the first quarter of this year through these vaccine imports. To this end, proactive shortening of the interval for the third dose, focused on-site vaccinations for the elderly, and additional vaccination conveniences for the older age groups are being implemented. 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 as part of the national essential vaccination program to regularize the vaccination process. This means discussing the possibility of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine annually, similar to the influenza vaccine, which is currently administered every year 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 effectiveness decreases over time after completing vaccination, leading to the implementation of the third dose, but even this is not considered a permanent solution. Vaccine manufacturers such as Pfizer predict that the third dose's effect is unlikely to be permanent and that annual vaccinations may be necessary.

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