Starting Today, Pre-Booking for BA.1 Bivalent Vaccine... Priority for High-Risk Groups

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] Advance reservations for the updated vaccine targeting Omicron BA.1 will begin on the 27th.

The COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team announced that advance reservations for the bivalent vaccine developed to respond to the initial Wuhan strain and the Omicron variant (BA.1) will start from today.

Scheduled vaccinations and same-day vaccinations based on reservations will be implemented from the 11th of next month. It is possible to receive same-day vaccinations after checking the preliminary list of medical institutions via social network services (SNS) such as Naver and Kakao, or by phone.

The updated vaccine utilizes a bivalent messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine developed based on Omicron BA.1. Moderna’s bivalent vaccine, which has been introduced since the 15th, can be administered first, and Pfizer’s BA.1-based bivalent vaccine, which has not yet been introduced domestically, will also be used for vaccination as soon as the introduction process is completed.

For those who cannot receive mRNA vaccines or do not wish to receive mRNA vaccinations, protein recombinant vaccines such as Novavax or Skycovione are available.

The recommended vaccination interval is four months after the last vaccination or four months after a COVID-19 diagnosis. The updated vaccine is only available as a booster dose for adults who have completed their first and second doses.

This updated vaccine vaccination prioritizes high-risk groups. However, same-day vaccinations using leftover vaccines can be administered next month to people who are not included in the priority groups (2nd and 3rd priority) if they have completed their primary vaccination series.

The first priority group starting vaccination in October includes elderly people aged 60 and over, immunocompromised individuals, residents and workers in nursing hospitals and facilities, mental health promotion facilities, and facilities for the disabled and homeless, who are vulnerable to infection. People in their 50s, those with underlying diseases, and healthcare workers are the second priority, while healthy adults aged 18 to 49 are the third priority.

Vaccinations at infection-vulnerable facilities will begin early next month as soon as local governments complete the formation of visiting vaccination teams according to their circumstances.

The quarantine authorities plan to conduct active monitoring for one week starting from the 11th of next month for vaccinated individuals who consent to receive text messages, to check their health status and any issues in daily life. Additionally, precautions and measures will be re-communicated on the third day after vaccination via the contact information registered at the time of vaccination.

Baek Kyung-ran, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, stated, "To prepare for the winter resurgence of COVID-19 and the simultaneous outbreak of influenza, additional winter vaccinations for vulnerable groups such as those in infection-vulnerable facilities and the elderly are very important," adding, "We are also preparing for the safe and prompt introduction of bivalent vaccines based on BA.4 and BA.5."

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