Seoul: South Korea plans to secure more MRNA vaccines against Covid-19 to use it as a booster shot next year for all of its population, said Prime Minister Kim Boo-Kyum on Tuesday.
South Korea has agreed to buy 106 million doses of mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna to include full vaccination of the population of 52 million this year.
The government also hopes to achieve a flock of immunity earlier than the November target by analyzing at least 70% of the population with a minimum of one dose vaccine.
“The government plans to install the first supply of vaccines, mostly MRNA, enough to vaccinate the entire public with at least one shot next year,” Kim said.
South Korea has provided at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine to around 30% of its population, and large manufacturing employers will begin to inoculate their employees at their in-house clinics next month.
Kim also said it is necessary to expand the age group of people who qualify for vaccination to ensure students can return to school in the fall in the spread of more contagious variants.
It is also unclear how long the immunity protection takes place in people who have been vaccinated.
Pfizer shots have been approved for children aged 12-15 years in Europe and the United States, and Moderna aims for adolescent approval because data shows its shots have been found safe and effective.
In South Korea, the government has agreed to use the Pfizer vaccine in children aged 16 years and over, while modern shots can be given to those aged 18 years and over.
While the number of local daily infections remained under 700 since the beginning of this month, a more transmission variant increased.
South Korea has so far reported a total of 2,492 cases of Covid-19 variants, where 83% are Alfa variants, first detected in the UK, and 10% are Delta variants, first identified in India, according to data from Korean Diseases and Prevention Agencies.
South Korea reported 595 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, raising the total number of cases confirmed to 156,167.
Caseload’s total includes initial infections that are not related to several variants identified by the World Health Organization this year.
The death toll of Covid-19 stands at 2,017.