US-Korea 'Vaccine Swap' Practically Blocked
Russian Vaccine Faces 'Safety' Question as Alternative
[Asia Economy reporters Seo So-jeong and Lee Hyun-woo] U.S. President Joe Biden on the 21st (local time) reiterated the principle of ‘vaccination priority within the United States’ for COVID-19 vaccines, raising expectations of difficulties in vaccine swap negotiations between South Korea and the U.S. However, although President Biden did not specify a timeline, his statement about supplying vaccines has led to analyses that the possibility of supply remains open depending on the outcome of negotiations with our government.
The U.S. is expected to prioritize support of AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccines, which are currently stockpiled and not used domestically, to Canada and Central and South American countries. During a phone call with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the same day, President Biden said, "We can send more vaccines to Canada," and added, "We expect to use vaccines that we are currently not using to help supply vaccines to other countries such as those in Central America." Earlier, the Biden administration promised to supply 1.5 million doses of AZ vaccine to Canada and 2.5 million doses to Mexico last month.
Israel, which also has a smooth vaccine supply along with the U.S., has attracted attention as a vaccine supply source by announcing it is considering refunds or sales of AZ vaccines to third countries. However, concerns about side effects have led to forecasts that overseas resale will be difficult. According to local media Times of Israel, the Israeli government announced plans to refund 10 million doses of AZ vaccine on the same day, and if refunds are not possible, resale to third countries may be considered. However, Times of Israel reported that there is strong opposition within the Israeli government due to concerns that Israel would be responsible for any side effects caused by resold vaccines.
As vaccine supply issues have emerged worldwide, voices calling for the introduction of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine ‘Sputnik V’ are growing domestically. President Moon Jae-in instructed a review of the possibility of introducing Sputnik V the day before, and political figures including Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung have actively raised the necessity of introducing Sputnik V as an alternative to vaccine shortages.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) also sent an official letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 15th requesting the collection of vaccine safety information from countries administering Sputnik V. An MFDS official explained on the same day, "Official documents for drug registration have not yet been submitted by the Sputnik V manufacturer/importer," adding, "Since risk information about the Russian vaccine has not been disclosed, this is a step to collect local data from countries currently administering the vaccine." Experts view that since Sputnik V uses a viral vector method like AZ and Janssen vaccines, sufficient verification of side effects such as thrombosis and safety is necessary.
Professor Jung Jae-hoon of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Gachon University Gil Medical Center said, "Ultimately, our government is likely to make a judgment based on the European Medicines Agency (EMA) verification results," and added, "The key is how sufficiently the manufacturer submits actual vaccination data."
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