Kindergarten and Grades 1-2 Teachers to Receive Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines in July-August... Change Ahead of Full Return to School (Update)

Jung Eun-kyung: "Complete Second Dose During Summer Vacation with Short-Interval mRNA Vaccine"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] COVID-19 vaccines for kindergarten, daycare center, and 1st-2nd grade elementary school teachers are being changed from AstraZeneca to Pfizer and Moderna, and the vaccination schedule is adjusted from June to July.

The COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team (Director Jeong Eun-kyung) announced on the 4th that the vaccination plan for kindergarten staff, daycare centers, 1st-2nd grade elementary school teachers, and care personnel will be changed, and vaccinations will be conducted during the summer vacation in July and August along with other elementary, middle, and high school staff vaccinations.

This adjustment in the vaccination plan was made according to the full return-to-school plan for the second semester announced at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting on the 2nd.

By administering the messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines Pfizer and Moderna, which have relatively shorter intervals between doses, the plan is to complete the second dose during the summer vacation to ensure no disruption to the school reopening at the end of August.

The quarantine authorities, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Health and Welfare will individually notify people of the changed vaccination schedule via text messages and also announce it through related organizations to minimize confusion on the ground.

Deputy Prime Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye said, "Through this adjustment of the vaccination plan, we expect that all teachers will complete their vaccinations during the summer vacation, creating a safer educational environment for the second semester."

Jeong Eun-kyung, Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, stated, "The quarantine authorities will do their best to cooperate on quarantine measures, including vaccinations, for the full return to school and normalization of school education in the second semester."

Regarding the reason for switching vaccines for kindergarten, daycare center, and 1st-2nd grade elementary school teachers and care personnel to mRNA vaccines, Director Jeong explained, "We considered that the AstraZeneca vaccine requires a longer interval of 10 to 12 weeks between doses," adding, "From the quarantine authorities' perspective, completing the second dose is the most important situation."

He added, "There were considerations about differences in vaccines within the same group if 1st and 2nd grade elementary teachers receive AstraZeneca and 3rd and 4th graders receive other vaccines," and "The vaccination plan was adjusted also to focus more on vaccinating the elderly in June, taking into account vaccine supply conditions."

However, kindergarten, daycare center, and 1st-2nd grade elementary school teachers who did not make reservations by the 3rd will have their vaccination schedules postponed to after September.

Director Jeong said, "For now, vaccinations will proceed mainly for teachers who have made reservations," and "For the rest, it is expected that vaccinations will be assigned after September, once the first dose for the public has been carried out."

Additionally, 3rd-year high school students will receive the Pfizer vaccine as scheduled during the summer vacation.

Director Jeong said, "For school staff, it will be either Pfizer or Moderna, and for 3rd-year high school students, since 17- and 18-year-olds may be mixed, vaccination with the Pfizer vaccine is being considered," adding, "Reflecting the approval guidelines, 3rd-year high school students will receive Pfizer, and school staff will receive one of the two mRNA vaccines as planned."