"Nationwide Delivery Completed by the Day After Tomorrow"… Oral COVID-19 Treatment Stocked Up

The government plans to import an additional 10,000 doses of Paxlovid within this month

A vehicle carrying Pfizer's oral COVID-19 treatment 'Paxlovid' is entering Yuhan Corporation's logistics center in Ochang, Chungbuk on the 13th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] "It is expected that nationwide delivery will be completed by the day after tomorrow" (Im Suk-young, Head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters Situation Unit)

On the 13th, 21,000 doses of Pfizer's oral COVID-19 treatment 'Paxlovid' were first delivered to Yuhan Yanghaeng's logistics warehouse in Ochang-eup, Cheongju-si, Chungbuk.

After arriving at Incheon International Airport around 2:30 PM and undergoing inspection, the 21,000 doses of Paxlovid departed for Ochang at around 3:15 PM and arrived at the Ochang logistics warehouse at approximately 5:25 PM, escorted by police vehicles, loaded on two 11-ton container trucks.

As the side doors of the trucks opened, forklifts quickly approached and began unloading the treatment. Each of the two trucks carried 7 bundles, each containing 16 boxes with 100 doses per box. The thermometer attached to the bundles showed a temperature of 13.3 degrees Celsius. The storage temperature for Paxlovid is between 15 and 30 degrees Celsius. A Pfizer Korea official reassured Head Im by saying, "The temperature is not significantly out of range."

Until the arrival at the logistics warehouse, it was Pfizer's responsibility, but from now on, Yuhan Yanghaeng, which is in charge of domestic distribution, will take over. Yuhan Yanghaeng has warehouses and vehicles equipped with room temperature maintenance functions to ensure safe distribution. For security, the entry and exit history will be managed through a computerized system, and an unmanned automated warehouse where no one can enter has been prepared.

The treatment received on this day will be immediately dispatched nationwide after product condition checks. Around 10 PM, it will be moved to the logistics hub in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, and from 2 AM the next day, it will be distributed to 89 residential treatment centers and 280 pharmacies nationwide to be prescribed to mild to moderate COVID-19 patients aged 65 or older or immunocompromised individuals. The government plans to establish a rapid delivery system so that prescriptions can be made starting on the 14th.

The total quantity of oral treatment contracted with Pfizer by the government is 762,000 doses. Of these, 21,000 doses were introduced for the first time on this day. The government plans to import an additional 10,000 doses of Paxlovid within this month.