COVID-19 First Dose Vaccinations Surpass 2 Million in 55 Days

Goal of 3 Million Vaccine Doses by the End of This Month

On the 19th, vaccine recipients are waiting before vaccination at Bumin Hospital in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. COVID-19 vaccinations for airline industry workers begin on this day. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team announced on the 22nd, "As of 6 p.m. today, the number of people who have received the COVID-19 vaccine (based on the first dose) has been tentatively counted at 2,034,236, surpassing 2 million." It has been 55 days since the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine administration began on the 26th of last month.

Excluding weekends and holidays, the average daily number of vaccinations during the week was in the 50,000 range in the first and second weeks of March, then dropped to between 10,000 and 20,000 in the middle of the month. However, starting this month, the average daily vaccinations were 40,000 in the first week, 50,000 in the second week, 65,000 in the third week, and 128,000 in the fourth week, showing an acceleration in the vaccination pace.

The Promotion Team explained, "The number of vaccination centers increased from 71 on the 8th to 175 on the 15th, and 204 on the 22nd, and with vaccinations starting at 1,794 entrusted medical institutions, the daily vaccination capacity has increased." The team plans to complete the first dose for 3 million people by the end of this month.