Urgent Vaccine Supply Issue Temporarily Resolved... Specific Introduction Timing Still Undecided (Comprehensive)

Secured 99 Million Doses This Year
2.75 Times the Amount Needed for Herd Immunity
November Target Closer but
Concerns Over Moderna Q2 Arrival
Slow Vaccination Pace Also a Problem

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] The government has signed an additional purchase contract for 40 million doses (20 million people) of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, securing a total of 99 million doses so far, bringing the country one step closer to achieving herd immunity this year.

Amid the global emergency to secure vaccines, the urgent issue has been temporarily resolved by securing additional Pfizer vaccines. However, the problem lies in the slow vaccination pace. With a total of five types of vaccines?AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Novavax, Moderna, and Janssen?expected to arrive simultaneously in the second quarter, there remains the challenge of efficiently allocating vaccination targets and schedules.

Specific quantities and timing must be clarified... Inter-governmental TF to meet with Novavax CEO soon

By securing an additional 20 million doses of Pfizer vaccine, the total supply of Pfizer vaccines this year will be 66 million doses (33 million people), combining the initial 26 million doses and the newly contracted 40 million doses. So far, 1.75 million doses of Pfizer vaccine have been supplied, and including this, 7 million doses are expected to be supplied by the end of June.

From the third quarter, 59 million doses will be supplied sequentially. Starting in July, not only AstraZeneca and Pfizer but also Novavax, Moderna, and Janssen vaccines will be actively introduced domestically. The agreed quantity by the end of September is about 80 million doses, and combined with the supply in the first half of the year, approximately 100 million doses will be introduced by the end of September.

This year, South Korea has secured a total of 192 million doses (99 million people) of COVID-19 vaccines. Through the international joint procurement project 'COVAX Facility,' 10 million doses were secured, and 89 million doses were contracted individually with pharmaceutical companies. The quantities by company are Pfizer 33 million doses, AstraZeneca 10 million doses, Janssen 6 million doses, Moderna 20 million doses, and Novavax 20 million doses.

This amount is about twice the total population of 50 million in South Korea and 2.75 times the vaccination target of 36 million people needed to form herd immunity. If supply proceeds smoothly, the quantity available by the end of September alone will allow first-dose vaccination for all 44 million people aged 18 and over. Lee Ki-il, the practical support team leader of the inter-governmental vaccine introduction task force (TF), explained, "The 44 million doses secured by the end of September are enough to vaccinate the target population aged 18 and over twice, not just once." Among the vaccines introduced in South Korea, except for Janssen, all four require two doses.

The specific introduction schedule for each vaccine has not yet been finalized. On the 20th, Deputy Prime Minister and Acting Prime Minister Hong Nam-ki announced that Moderna's COVID vaccine is scheduled to be supplied from the second half of this year. Originally, Moderna vaccines were planned for introduction in the second quarter, but concerns about vaccine supply arose following Hong's remarks. The official announcement of a third dose (booster shot) for Moderna vaccines in the U.S. intensified worries about disruptions to the original supply plan. Regarding this, Lee said, "We are negotiating for 2.71 million doses of Novavax, Moderna, and Janssen vaccines to arrive by the second quarter," adding, "A portion of Moderna vaccines will also be supplied in the second quarter."

As domestic company SK Bioscience undertakes contract manufacturing of Novavax vaccines, future plans are expected to change. Stanley Erck, CEO of Novavax, visited SK Bioscience's Andong plant to discuss domestic production issues of COVID-19 vaccines. Lee explained, "Whether to add to the existing 20 million doses or make other arrangements will be a private business-to-business contract," and added, "The inter-governmental TF is also scheduled to meet with the Novavax CEO soon."

Only 4.4% of the population vaccinated... "Will secure capacity to vaccinate up to 1.5 million people per day"

On the 26th, when vaccinations for essential social workers such as police officers and firefighters began, Kim Chang-ryong, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, received the COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine at the Jongno-gu Public Health Center in Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

The government plans to complete first-dose vaccinations for 12 million people in the first half of the year and additionally introduce some Novavax, Moderna, and Janssen vaccines within the first half. It also aims to proactively respond to future additional demands such as expanding vaccination targets to those under 18 and administering third doses to counter variants.

Experts pointed out that with some vaccine supply concerns alleviated, vaccination speed must be accelerated. Only 4.4% of the entire population has been vaccinated in the 59 days since vaccinations began. According to the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, 6,140 people were newly vaccinated yesterday, bringing the total first-dose recipients to 2,266,888. By vaccine type, among the cumulative first-dose recipients, 1,313,123 received AstraZeneca vaccines, and 953,765 received Pfizer vaccines. The total cumulative vaccinations, including both first and second doses of Pfizer vaccines, amount to 2,371,793.

To complete first-dose vaccinations for 70% of the total population, which is necessary to form herd immunity, by September, the vaccination pace must be increased. The government plans to vaccinate 3 million people by the end of April by administering vaccines to 150,000 people daily. Infrastructure expansion is also underway. Acting Prime Minister Hong emphasized, "The number of vaccination centers will increase from 204 to 267 by early May, and private entrusted medical institutions will expand from about 2,000 to 14,000 by the end of May. This will enable us to have the capacity to vaccinate more than 1.5 million people per day."

According to the promotion team, vaccinations for essential social workers such as police, coast guard, and firefighters, originally scheduled for June, have been moved up. Starting today, they will receive AstraZeneca vaccines at designated entrusted medical institutions in each city, county, and district.