South Korea to Buy Mil. of Covid Vaccine Doses but in No Hurry: Analysis by IVI DG Dr. Jerome Kim

  • 3 years ago
정부 백신 도입 계획, 국제백신연구소장 Jerome Kim 박사 분석

Let's try to understand better both the announcement made by the health ministry today on South Korea's vaccine procurement plans
Joining us live on the line is Dr. Jerome Kim, Director General of the International Vaccine Institute.
Dr. Jerome Kim, thanks for joining us.
The ministry expressed that this timeline gives South Korea time to closely monitoring potential side effects that may be discovered two or three months after vaccination in other countries.
Does this in fact decrease the level of uncertainty over the vaccines' safety and efficacy?
Because South Korea has secured vaccines from four different pharmaceutical companies, this also means that there is difference in the vaccine itself, including difference in dosages: AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Moderna's requiring two doses, versus Johnson & Johnson's only requiring one.
How will the health ministry decide who gets what kind of vaccine?
What are some details that need to be ironed out by the health ministry in the policy regarding COVID-19 vaccinations, which they are aiming to proceed by the second half of next year?
Meanwhile, as we reported right before our phoner, a 90-year-old grandmother became the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine shot outside of a trial as Britain began vaccinating its population. As some hail this as a decisive watershed in defeating the coronavirus, there are other portion of the population in the the U.S., UK and other countries who are hesitant to receive Covid vaccinations. What are your thoughts?
Dr. Jerome Kim, Director General of the Internationa Vaccine Institute, many thanks for your insights. We appreciate it.