Even Severely Immunocompromised Can Be Safe from COVID-19 Fear! ... Gyeongnam Province to Start 'Evusheld' Vaccination in August

Available at 19 Locations Including Changwon Gyeongsang National University and Samcheonpo Jeil Hospital

Evusheld. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] Good news has been delivered that an antibody treatment for COVID-19 prevention will be introduced for severely immunocompromised patients who do not develop antibodies even after vaccination.

The Gyeongsangnam-do Vaccination Promotion Team announced on the 14th that 'Evusheld' will be introduced, which is expected to prevent COVID-19 infection, worsening, and death among severely immunocompromised patients.

According to Gyeongnam Province, Evusheld is the first COVID-19 preventive antibody treatment introduced domestically. It administers two antibodies, tixagevimab and cilgavimab, via intramuscular injection, and the preventive effect against COVID-19 infection appears within hours after administration.

List of designated medical institutions for Evusheld administration in Gyeongnam Province.

The province plans to designate 19 medical institutions at the hospital level or higher within the province, including Changwon Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Samcheonpo Jeil Hospital, and Kyung Hee University Education Cooperation Central Hospital, as Evusheld administration medical institutions and start vaccinations.

As of the administration date, the treatment will be given to adults and children aged 12 or older weighing 40 kg or more who have no history of COVID-19 infection within the last 7 days and are severely immunocompromised due to blood cancer, organ transplantation, or congenital immunodeficiency.

Reservations can be made at medical institutions treating severely immunocompromised patients using the COVID-19 vaccination registration system, and once selected as a target, vaccinations can be administered from the second week of August without any out-of-pocket expenses.

Kwon Yang-geun, Director of the Provincial Welfare and Health Bureau, said, "We will be able to protect severely immunocompromised patients who were in the blind spot of vaccination despite being high-risk groups," and added, "Separately, to prevent severe illness and death, high-risk groups and residents aged 50 and over are encouraged to participate in the fourth dose of the vaccine."

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