[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] From the 1st, advance reservations for the first domestic COVID-19 vaccine vaccination will begin.
According to the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, from midnight on this day, advance reservations for the 'Skycovione Multi-dose (Skycovione)' vaccine can be made through the COVID-19 reservation website.
Skycovione, produced by SK Bioscience, received product approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on June 29 and was approved for shipment on the 26th of last month in accordance with the vaccination schedule.
The Skycovione vaccine has been produced using a recombinant DNA technology method, similar to influenza and hepatitis B vaccines, which have extensive vaccination experience, and can be stored and distributed refrigerated (2~8℃).
Clinical trial results showed that Skycovione had neutralizing antibody levels 2.9 times higher than the AstraZeneca vaccine in suppressing infection risk, and the antibody conversion rate was more than 10% higher. The immune response to variants was also higher than AstraZeneca’s, with 27 times higher for the Delta variant and over 10 times higher for the Omicron variant.
According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approval, Skycovione is used for primary vaccination (1st and 2nd doses) in adults aged 18 and over. Two doses are administered at 4-week intervals. It has not yet been approved for the 3rd and 4th doses, and related clinical trials are ongoing.
The Skycovione vaccine can be administered at 112 public health centers nationwide and 1,125 designated medical institutions. Vaccinations through advance reservations will begin on the 13th, and same-day vaccinations will be available starting from the 5th.
At a briefing the day before, Baek Kyung-ran, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, urged, "Those who have been reluctant to receive primary vaccinations due to concerns about adverse reactions to messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines can choose the domestic vaccine Skycovione."
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