[Comprehensive] Daegu's Proposal to Mediate Pfizer Vaccine Purchase... Kim Seong-ju Criticizes, "Is This Overseas Direct Purchase?"

"Vaccines Introduced Through National Contracts"
"Daegu with Low Vaccination Rate, Administer Available Vaccines Quickly"

Officials preparing the Pfizer vaccine for citizens to receive. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Kim Seongju, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized Daegu City's proposal to the government to mediate the purchase of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines, saying, "Vaccines are not overseas direct purchase products." He pointed out that it is impossible for private companies or individuals to supply COVID-19 vaccines, which are purchased through contracts with supranational organizations or governments.

Kim, who serves as the head of the Democratic Party's Special Committee on Vaccines and Therapeutics, wrote on his Facebook on the 2nd, "Vaccines are not smuggled goods by peddlers," adding, "Vaccines are introduced through national contracts and require approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to be administered."

He also criticized, "Daegu has the lowest vaccination rate and reservation rate in the country," and said, "Instead of trying to buy vaccines that are not even possible, I hope Daegu City will focus on administering the vaccines that are available quickly to save the lives of Daegu citizens and help restore daily life."

Kim Sung-joo, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker / Photo by Yonhap News

Daegu City recently reportedly conveyed to the government a proposal from the local medical community and a foreign trading company to supply enough Pfizer vaccines for 30 million people within three weeks.

Regarding this, Kwon Youngjin, Mayor of Daegu, explained at the COVID-19 Pan-Citizen Countermeasures Committee meeting on the 1st, "(The procurement effort) has reached a visible stage," adding, "In the final stage, since it is difficult for Daegu City to purchase directly, we handed over the responsibility to the government, which plans and supplies vaccines overall. We hope for a good outcome."

However, the government maintains a cautious stance, emphasizing the need to verify the authenticity due to unclear supply routes of the vaccines.

Son Youngrae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters briefing on the same day, "It is true that a foreign private trading company proposed to supply tens of millions of doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines to Daegu City," but he pointed out, "Pfizer vaccines are supplied only through contracts with supranational organizations such as COVAX (COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility) or at the national level."

He emphasized, "It is necessary to verify how a foreign private trading company possesses this product line."

Son Young-rae, Head of Social Strategy Division, Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters / Photo by Yonhap News

He also pointed out that there had been previous proposals to supply vaccines through various channels from private companies or individuals, but most were not true.

Son explained, "There were proposals that foreign private companies or individuals could supply AstraZeneca vaccines through various channels," but "upon verification, many of these were either untrue or not feasible."

He added, "We forwarded the proposal received from Daegu City to Pfizer and requested verification of authenticity," and "We plan to review the response once it is received."

Meanwhile, Pfizer Korea denied the news that Daegu City was independently pursuing the introduction of Pfizer vaccines separate from the government, stating, "We have not approved this."

In an official statement on the 1st, Pfizer Korea emphasized, "In the pandemic situation, we supply COVID-19 vaccines only to central governments and supranational regulatory agencies worldwide," and "We have not authorized any organization to import, sell, or distribute the vaccines."