"Offering 150,000 Won Reward" Citizens Seeking Help for Remaining Vaccine Reservations

A citizen is receiving a COVID-19 vaccination. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] "Looking for someone to book leftover vaccines for 150,000 KRW as a service fee."

As the fourth wave of COVID-19 and vaccine supply shortages coincide, the anxiety among young people is also increasing. The younger generation has not yet had a precise vaccination schedule set, and the quantity and timing of vaccine deliveries have not been confirmed, making it unclear when they will be able to get vaccinated.

In this situation, some young people are reportedly looking online for others to book leftover vaccines on their behalf. Since they do not know when they will be vaccinated, they are willing to pay to get vaccinated earlier.

On the 22nd, posts related to leftover vaccine reservations have been continuously appearing on online secondhand trading sites. One netizen said, "Looking for someone to book leftover vaccines (Pfizer) on my behalf," adding, "I am thinking of a service fee around 150,000 KRW. The location is Seoul. Please send me a message if you can help."

Another netizen also said, "Please help with leftover vaccine reservation. Only those who have succeeded before, please. The location is Yeongdeungpo-gu," and added, "I will pay a service fee of 100,000 KRW."

Recently, posts related to leftover vaccine transactions have been appearing one after another on online communities. Photo by Naver screen capture.

Meanwhile, one netizen posted that they would personally act as an agent for leftover vaccine reservations. Through Twitter, a netizen said, "I will act as an agent for leftover Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in Seoul and Gyeonggi areas," adding, "If you leave your phone unused for about two hours, I will book a reservation so you can get vaccinated on the same day."

The reason they want to apply for leftover vaccines even by paying fees seems related to unstable vaccine supply. Recently, the COVID-19 vaccine supply has become unstable, leading to revisions in the vaccination plan for people in their 50s.

According to the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, those aged 55-59 who will be vaccinated from the 26th to the 31st through prior reservation will receive the Moderna vaccine. However, those in the metropolitan areas such as Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon will receive the Pfizer vaccine. The reason for different vaccine types by region is due to disruptions in the originally planned supply of Moderna vaccines.

Photo by Twitter screen capture.

In this situation, young people are voicing their dissatisfaction. Kim (26), a university student, said, "These days, I am looking at my phone screen all day long. I keep checking whether the leftover vaccine alarm pops up, but it never does, so it’s frustrating," adding, "I have acquaintances who have already received leftover vaccines, and every time I see them, I can’t help but think, 'When will I be able to get vaccinated?'"

Office worker Lee (27) also said, "If the vaccine supply had been secured sufficiently from the beginning, we wouldn’t feel this anxiety," adding, "With over a thousand confirmed COVID-19 cases every day, I hope people in their 20s and 30s can get vaccinated soon."

Meanwhile, 290,000 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines were introduced into the country on the same day. With this, a total of 6.3 million doses have been supplied this month, including 1.04 million doses of Moderna, 1.188 million doses of AstraZeneca, and 2.074 million doses of Pfizer.

Baek Kyung-taek, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters’ situation management team, said at the COVID-19 regular briefing, "With the introduction of 290,000 doses of Moderna vaccines today, a total of 24.92 million doses have been delivered," adding, "About 31 million doses are expected to be additionally supplied by the end of August."