[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheol-hyun] Hong Nam-ki, Acting Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for Economy, announced on the 20th during the government questioning session that the U.S. pharmaceutical company Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is scheduled to be supplied starting from the second half of this year.
Acting Prime Minister Hong stated in response to a question from Kim Eun-hye of the People Power Party, "We have contracted for 40 million doses (enough for 20 million people) of the Moderna vaccine, and a significant portion could not be imported in the first half of the year," adding, "It is scheduled to arrive in the second half."
Earlier, President Moon Jae-in had secured 20 million doses of the vaccine through a phone call with Moderna's CEO in December last year, and it was announced by Blue House spokesperson Kang Min-seok that the vaccines would be imported starting from the second quarter of this year.
Acting Prime Minister Hong's remarks can also be interpreted as an explanation that the supply expected by the government in the first half of the year has been delayed. When Representative Kim asked again, "Is it a lie that the Blue House said they secured 20 million doses in the second quarter?" he explained, "I am referring to the total amount including AstraZeneca, Moderna, Janssen, and Novavax."
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