'Doctor' Ahn Cheol-soo: "President Moon's Emphasis on 'First Dose Vaccination Rate' Is Deceptive to the Public... It's Absurd"

Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, is wearing disposable gloves on the morning of the 18th at the Jung-gu Public Health Center screening clinic in Seoul to volunteer medical resources.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, who went on medical volunteer work during the Chuseok holiday, said, "The government’s emphasis on the first dose COVID-19 vaccination rate is deceiving the public."

On the 19th, Ahn said on his Facebook, "The rapid pace of vaccination is thanks to the active cooperation of the people and the dedication of healthcare workers."

Ahn stated, "After finishing medical volunteer work at the screening clinic of Jung-gu Public Health Center in Seoul the day before, I heard that President Moon Jae-in said, ‘It is an astonishing speed that 70% of the entire population has received the first dose of the vaccine.’" He then evaluated this by saying, "I was speechless."

He said, "Proper immunity does not develop with only the first dose," adding, "Only after completing the second dose can infection, severe illness, and death be minimized." He pointed out, "Therefore, it is only natural to set the goal of increasing the completion rate of vaccination, including the second dose."

Ahn continued, "Nevertheless, President Moon keeps emphasizing the first dose vaccination rate to avoid criticism for not purchasing enough vaccines." He also added, "There was even a case where vaccines intended for the second dose were used to increase the first dose rate, which extended the interval between the first and second doses."

Furthermore, he emphasized, "Using vaccines meant for the second dose to increase the first dose rate is, in short, putting high-risk groups in danger for the sake of promoting this administration," and urged, "The government should focus on completing vaccinations for high-risk groups."

Ahn criticized, "What the government should have done was simply to procure enough vaccines in a timely manner," and said, "If that had been done, we would have already returned to normal daily life."

Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, stated on his Facebook on the 19th, "The government's emphasis on the first dose vaccination rate of COVID-19 is deceiving the public." Photo by Ahn Cheol-soo (Facebook capture)

Earlier, the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team announced on the 17th in a reference document that "As of 5 p.m., the cumulative number of first-dose vaccinations was counted at 36,004,101, recording a vaccination rate of 70.1% of the total population," and "Based on those aged 18 and over, the target group, it corresponds to 81.5%."

On the same day, President Moon posted this news on his social media (SNS) to inform the public. President Moon expressed gratitude, saying, "In terms of speed, South Korea has shown unmatched strength in vaccination," and "This was possible thanks to our country’s excellent vaccination infrastructure, the dedicated efforts of healthcare workers, and the high participation awareness of the people."