[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Moderna announced that it will supply 200 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to the United States by July. Amid disruptions in global vaccine supply due to blood clot side effects of AstraZeneca and Janssen vaccines, other countries including Korea have been pushed back in the supply schedule.
On the 13th (local time), Moderna stated on its website, "We will supply 100 million doses to the U.S. government by the end of next month, and an additional 100 million doses by the end of July." Regarding regions outside the U.S., it said, "The establishment of the supply chain is about one quarter behind the U.S., but it is continuously expanding."
President Moon Jae-in had a direct phone call with Moderna's CEO at the end of last year and agreed to receive 40 million doses starting from May, but the immediate domestic supply has become uncertain. Additionally, since the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Switzerland, and Qatar contracted earlier than Korea, it is analyzed that even if Moderna begins supplying outside the U.S., securing doses immediately will be difficult.
Korea has pre-purchased 20 million doses of Moderna, 20 million doses of Novavax, 13 million doses of Pfizer, 10 million doses of AstraZeneca, and 6 million doses of Janssen. Through the international vaccine sharing program led by the World Health Organization (WHO), the 'COVAX Facility,' Korea secured 10 million doses.
The confirmed quantity to be introduced in the first half of this year is 9,044,000 doses, of which 59%, or 5,337,000 doses, are AstraZeneca vaccines. The government planned to introduce other vaccines such as Janssen, Novavax, and Moderna from the second quarter, but even the initial quantities have not yet been decided.
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