'COVID-19 AZ Vaccine' Shipment Approaching at SK Andong Plant... Calm Atmosphere Amid 'Reporting Enthusiasm'

Departure from SK Bioscience Andong Plant at 10:30 AM on the 24th
150,000 vaccinations, 300,000 doses shipment → Transported to Icheon Logistics Center
Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun directly commands on site... Vaccinations start from the 26th

On the morning of the 24th, reporters were waiting in front of the SK Bioscience Andong L-House Vaccine Center, which has been contract manufacturing the AstraZeneca vaccine, to cover the relocation work.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Sang-hyun] On the morning of the 24th, two days before the start of COVID-19 vaccination, the first batch of AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccines, which have been contract-manufactured at SK Bioscience's plant in Andong, Gyeongbuk, will be shipped.

On this day, media personnel eager to cover the shipment scene have gathered early in the morning at the SK Bioscience Andong L-House Vaccine Center. The company is restricting media access to the factory.

The AstraZeneca vaccines produced here will be shipped from the factory around 10:30 a.m. and then transported under police escort to a logistics center in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province. About 100 personnel, including special forces and riot police units, will be deployed to support the vaccine transportation operation.

The quantity shipped on this day is enough to vaccinate 150,000 people, totaling 300,000 doses (one dose equals one vaccination). This represents one-fifth of the approximately 750,000 doses (1.5 million shots) of AstraZeneca vaccines contract-manufactured at SK Bioscience in Andong.

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun is personally overseeing the entire shipment process here in Andong. Starting at 8:30 a.m., Prime Minister Chung chaired a Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting at the Gyeongbuk Provincial Government Office to review the transportation process and plans once again.

Meanwhile, AstraZeneca vaccine administration will officially begin at 9 a.m. on the 26th.

So far, about 289,000 people have expressed their intention to be vaccinated, including 186,659 residents of nursing hospitals and 102,612 residents of elderly care facilities and mental health and rehabilitation facilities. This accounts for 93.6% of the first-dose target population.