SEOUL– U.S. pharmaceutical company Moderna plans to provide South Korea with 7 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in the coming two weeks, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Sunday, following a supply disruption due to a production issue at the company.
“Moderna has notified the government that it will provide a total of 7 million vaccine doses over the next two weeks,” Kim said during a daily interagency meeting on the government’s coronavirus response.
The announcement was made following a South Korean government delegation’s visit to the headquarters of Moderna on Aug. 14 to protest a delay in the company’s vaccine provision. Earlier, Moderna notified Seoul of its plan to supply less than half of the 8.5 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine scheduled for August due to a production issue.
The first batch of 1.01 million doses will arrive in South Korea through the country’s main gateway, Incheon International Airport, Monday night, officials said.
Another 6 million doses will also arrive later, they said, without disclosing further details regarding the schedule.
The delay in the vaccine supply raised concerns that the country’s inoculation scheme for August and September may be hampered amid a recent flare-up in virus cases.
“The government will do its best to achieve the full vaccination of the people by procuring more vaccines as early as possible,” Kim said.
He also asked the Korean Health and Medical Workers’ Union to reconsider its plan to stage a general strike on Sept. 2, saying that now is the time to “bring together our wisdom instead of fighting and confronting one another.”
The prime minister also instructed central government ministries and local governments to carry out strict antivirus measures, saying the next two weeks will be critical in the nation’s fight against the current fourth wave of the pandemic.
South Korea aims to administer the first doses to 36 million people, or 70 percent of its 52 million population, by September, with the goal of achieving herd immunity by November.
But the delay in the vaccine supply raises concerns that the country’s inoculation scheme for August and September may be hampered amid a recent flare-up in virus cases.
The disruption in the Moderna vaccine supply has forced local authorities to switch to the COVID-19 vaccine by U.S. drug giant Pfizer Inc. for some age groups.
As of Sunday, 25.9 million people, or 50.4 percent of the population, have received their first shots of COVID-19 vaccines, and 11.4 million people have been fully vaccinated.
Currently, those aged between 18 and 49 are able to make advanced reservations for vaccine shots, with the rate standing at 61.3 percent of the eligible age group.
Source: Yonhap News Agency