 South
Korea cuts first-quarter COVID-19 vaccination plan, restricts use of
AstraZeneca shot
Send a link to a friend
[February 15, 2021]
By Sangmi Cha and Josh Smith
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea said on
Monday it will not use AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine on people aged
65 and older, reversing an earlier decision, and scaled back initial
vaccination targets due to delayed shipments from global vaccine-sharing
scheme COVAX.
|
|
 South Korea had said it would complete vaccinations on 1.3 million
people by the first quarter of this year with AstraZeneca shots, but
it slashed the target sharply to 750,000.
The decision is largely due to adjustments in the supply timetable
of the 2.6 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from COVAX, the
Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said on Monday.
It did not mention any production issues in Europe for the delayed
schedule, which it put down to administrative processes at COVAX,
and reiterated that its plan to reach herd immunity by November
remained in tact.
"We do not believe the adjustments in inoculations in February and
March will impact our goal of herd immunity by November," KDCA
director Jeong Eun-kyeong told a briefing.
South Korea also reversed its earlier plan on the use of the
AstraZeneca vaccine and said it would delay inoculation of the
elderly using the shot until more efficacy data becomes available.
[to top of second column] |
 South Korean authorities said
last week they would grant their first approval
for a coronavirus vaccine to AstraZeneca, and
would allow its use on the elderly, despite
warnings from advisory panels about a lack of
data on its efficacy in older patients.
Several European countries have warned that
AstraZeneca/Oxford University's shot should only
be given to those ages 18 to 64, but the company
has said it triggers a good immune response in
older people.
South Korea's first vaccinations will begin on
Feb. 26, with healthcare workers and vulnerable
residents, including the elderly, the first in
line.
(Reporting by Sangmi Cha and Josh Smith; Editing
by Miyoung Kim and Alex Richardson)
[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content |
