On the morning of the 25th, an official is preparing the Pfizer vaccine at the vaccination center set up at the Dobong-gu Municipal Changdong Youth Center in Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Starting from July, the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will be available not only at vaccination centers but also at designated medical institutions, and vaccinations will be administered to the general public aged 18 to 59. The government plans to prioritize vaccination for people aged 50 to 59, high school seniors and College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) examinees, as well as elementary, middle, and high school teachers.
Kim Ki-nam, Head of the Vaccination Planning Division at the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, stated at a regular briefing on the 27th, "From July, Pfizer vaccines will also be available at nearby medical institutions," adding, "We have selected about 1,500 facilities equipped with Pfizer vaccines and vaccination infrastructure as Pfizer vaccination institutions, and plan to start vaccinations from July."
The Pfizer vaccine, developed as a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine, requires frozen distribution and storage. Until now, vaccinations have only been conducted at vaccination centers equipped with the necessary facilities.
However, to expand vaccinations, among the existing 13,000 designated medical institutions, about 1,500 medical institutions equipped with vaccine storage and vaccination facilities have been selected as Pfizer vaccine designated medical institutions to increase the number of Pfizer vaccination sites. Additionally, if desired, these institutions can separate vaccination spaces and personnel by vaccine type to administer AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccines alongside Pfizer vaccines.
Yang Dong-gyo, Head of the Vaccination Implementation Division at the Promotion Team, explained, "Due to the complexities of storage, distribution, and pre-processing such as dilution and thawing before vaccination, Pfizer vaccines have been primarily administered at vaccination centers." He added, "As a large quantity of Pfizer vaccines is expected to be introduced in the third quarter, we are preparing to strengthen the capacity of existing vaccination centers and enable vaccinations at designated medical institutions as well. Considering the pending approval for changing the storage and distribution temperature to allow one month at 2?8℃, we plan to select some designated medical institutions to proceed accordingly."
On March 25th, examinees were preparing for the 2021 National Joint Academic Achievement Test for 3rd-year high school students at Seoul Girls' High School in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@
Also, starting in July, COVID-19 vaccinations will begin for the general public aged 18 to 59, prioritizing those aged 50 to 59, high school seniors, CSAT examinees, and elementary, middle, and high school teachers.
Kim said, "We will first vaccinate those aged 50 to 59, high school seniors, CSAT examinees, and elementary, middle, and high school teachers in July," adding, "The process will be similar to that for those aged 60 to 74, where individuals can make reservations online and choose their preferred date and medical institution for vaccination."
He continued, "The third-quarter plan will be detailed once the vaccine import schedule after July is finalized, and we will provide guidance on reservations and vaccination schedules for each target group in the third quarter."
The government aims to complete the first dose for 13 million people, including those aged 60 and above and high-risk groups, by the end of next month, and to begin vaccinations for the general public aged 18 to 59 starting in July. The specific vaccines for the priority groups in July have not yet been disclosed. However, since Pfizer is currently the only vaccine approved domestically for minors aged 16 to 17, it is highly likely that Pfizer will be used for high school seniors and CSAT examinees.
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