Gwangju City Prepares COVID-19 Vaccination for 70% of Citizens

Final Review Underway for a Total of 5 Candidate Sites, One per Vaccination Center

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 28th that it will begin COVID-19 vaccinations targeting 70% of Gwangju citizens in accordance with government policy.

The vaccines will be supplied sequentially, and vaccinations will be conducted with different locations and methods according to priority groups. The priority vaccination targets include nursing hospitals, elderly medical welfare facilities, high-risk facility workers, and those aged 65 and older. Vaccinations will be carried out through medical institutions' own vaccination, health center vaccination teams' visiting vaccinations, vaccination centers, and designated medical institutions.

The vaccination centers will administer Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which require ultra-low temperature cold storage, and are being considered at one location per autonomous district, totaling five sites equipped with parking lots, waiting areas, and ventilation facilities: ▲ Dong-gu Culture Center ▲ Seo-gu Yeomju General Gymnasium ▲ Nam-gu Multipurpose Gymnasium ▲ Buk-gu Chonnam National University Sports Center ▲ Gwangsan-gu Gwangju Veterans Hospital Rehabilitation Gymnasium.

Vaccines using existing platforms such as AstraZeneca and Janssen will be administered at COVID-19 vaccination medical institutions selected from 479 out of 665 private designated medical institutions participating in the national vaccination program, after confirming their suitability based on selection criteria.

After vaccination, a 15 to 30-minute observation period is required to monitor for adverse reactions. Vaccination centers will keep 119 emergency services and ambulances on standby to actively respond to emergencies.

Additionally, the city has formed a rapid response team composed of neurologists, infectious disease specialists, and forensic medicine professors to prepare for severe adverse reactions after vaccination. If a causal relationship with the vaccine is recognized, the team will refer cases to the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team's Damage Investigation Unit for national compensation.

The city has organized and is operating a Vaccination Implementation Promotion Team consisting of three teams and five divisions led by the Deputy Mayor of Administration to begin vaccinations immediately upon the government's plan announcement earlier this month. A regional consultative body including the city medical association president, hospital association president, and education office chief has also been formed.

Furthermore, discussions are underway with the local medical association and hospital association to secure medical personnel, and support from Chonnam National University and Chosun University hospitals is also being requested.

Park Hyang, Director of Welfare and Health Bureau of Gwangju City, stated, “The city is preparing a systematic vaccination implementation to ensure rapid and safe vaccinations,” and added, “We will do our best to conduct strict and thorough vaccinations tailored to the characteristics of Gwangju in accordance with government policy.”