"Predicted Due to Difficulties in Securing Vaccines"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] Amid reports from overseas predicting that South Korea will complete COVID-19 vaccinations by mid-next year, the government has once again emphasized its existing goal of achieving herd immunity by this November through thorough vaccine supply management.
Earlier, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a British economic analysis organization, predicted South Korea’s vaccination completion timeline to be mid-next year in its report titled "COVID-19 Vaccines: Delays Expected." The report projected the herd immunity period to be in the second half of next year.
At the COVID-19 regular briefing on the 22nd, Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, stated, “We need to review the contents of the EIU’s main report to understand the basis on which they estimated the timing of herd immunity formation and examine the data supporting that basis.” She added, “Since vaccines have mainly been secured by the U.S. and Europe, it is difficult for countries including South Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore, and Russia to secure vaccines, so they are predicting herd immunity will be achieved by mid-2022.”
She continued, “Because there is a global shortage of vaccine supply compared to demand, managing the supply schedule is not easy,” and explained, “If we thoroughly manage vaccine supply to advance the timing of vaccine availability as much as possible and ensure vaccines are supplied according to contracted schedules, it should be possible.”
Furthermore, she identified the variables influencing the formation of herd immunity by November as vaccination rate achievement, timely vaccine procurement and supply, and variant viruses. Jung said, “One of the biggest factors is whether we can achieve the vaccination rate target set to reach herd immunity,” and added, “The second variable is whether vaccines can be secured and supplied on time.”
She also said, “The third variable is the extent to which variant viruses occur, how much they affect vaccines, and how much they enter and spread within our country,” and stated, “We will faithfully carry out surveillance of variant viruses and management of overseas entrants.”
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