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http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/health/974473.html

On Dec. 16, the South Korean government announced that it is on the verge of concluding contracts to security supplies of COVID-19 vaccines from the US company Pfizer and Belgian-based Janssen (Johnson & Johnson). South Korea has recently signed a deal with the British company AstraZeneca.

In a regular briefing of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) that day, Son Young-rae, director of the Central Disaster Management Headquarters (CDMH) strategy and planning team, said that “discussions toward contracts [for COVID-19 vaccine] supplies with Pfizer and Janssen are proceeding smoothly.”

“Barring any major setbacks, we should be able to finalize the contracts and announce their terms shortly,” he added.

The government previously announced plans to acquire enough doses for 10 million people through the COVAX Facility, an international network for purchasing and distributing vaccines, along with doses for 34 million more people through individual contracts with global pharmaceutical firms. A purchase agreement has already been concluded with AstraZeneca, and contract negotiations with Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Moderna are currently underway.

In a regular briefing on Dec. 15, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) Director Jung Eun-kyeong said, “We are currently reviewing and discussing contracts with the aim of concluding contracts by the end of the year with at least two [companies].” As the UK and US have already begun administering vaccines, some experts insist that the South Korean government also needs to speed up its efforts.

The day before, the KDCA addressed concerns that South Korea may not be able to import the AstraZeneca vaccine within the first quarter of next year amid a delay in its approval by the US Food and Drug Administration. The KDCA stressed that this was an unrelated issue and that imports would “take place according to South Korea’s procedures.”

By Choi Ha-yan, staff reporter

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