Delivery today to Astra and nursing hospitals

The AstraZeneca vaccine, which was first shipped from SK Bioscience’s Andong plant in Gyeongbuk on the 24th, is being received at a distribution center in Icheon, Gyeonggi-do. The vaccine is transferred from here to nursing hospitals and public health centers across the country and used for the first inoculation in Korea on the 26th. Icheon = Joint Photojournalist-The vaccine for coronavirus infection (Corona 19) of AstraZeneca, UK, which will be the first inoculation in Korea on the 26th, was officially shipped on the 24th. SK Biosciences sends 787,000 (1574,000 doses) of AstraZeneca vaccine consigned to the Andong plant in Gyeongbuk to the distribution center in Icheon, Gyeonggi for five days from that day. This vaccine will be vaccinated to 28,9271 people (93.6% of all subjects) under the age of 65 who consented to vaccination among hospitals and workers in nursing hospitals, etc.

○ Land, sea, and air vaccine transportation started

The first vaccine shipments and transfers were urgent enough to resemble military operations. The vaccine, which started shipping around 10:30 am in Andong, was placed in a dedicated container maintaining an image of 2 to 8 degrees and loaded into a refrigerated transport truck (5t scale). The truck ran a 184km section from Andong to Icheon Distribution Center, escorted by police commandos and rioters. The integrated control center in Pangyo, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, monitored the location of the truck and the temperature of the vaccine transport container in real time. In preparation for the failure of the refrigeration unit, spare trucks also participated in the transfer line.

The AstraZeneca vaccine, which arrived at a distribution center in Icheon around 12:30 pm, was unloaded and stored. The logistics center has already been designated as a national security facility. Armed soldiers, police, etc. conduct a strict alert operation. In case of an emergency such as a fire, six firefighters are also on standby at the site.

The vaccine will be shipped nationwide from the evening of the 24th. Jeju Island’s 1,9500 passengers depart from Icheon at 7 pm on the same day and arrive in Jeju by ship at 6 am on the 25th via Mokpo Port in Jeollanam-do. Except for Jeju Island, delivery begins at 5:30 am on the 25th through reclassification and packaging. Military helicopters are mobilized for delivery to island areas such as Ulleungdo. It will be delivered to 1,909 places including nursing hospitals (1651) and public health centers (258) nationwide. The first dose of this vaccine will be completed by March. According to the advice of the Vaccination Expert Committee, the second vaccination is scheduled to proceed in April and May, 8-12 weeks after the first vaccination.

○ “Covid-19 continues even after vaccination”

On this day, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention held a’special vaccination briefing’ for the public and emphasized the stability of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Choi Won-seok, a professor of infectious medicine at Korea University Ansan Hospital, said at the briefing on the day that AstraZeneca vaccine is considered to be a safe and effective vaccine because it has exceeded all the standards that can be considered’effective and safe’. However, even in November, when more than 70% of the people are vaccinated, the situation is not expected to end. Professor Choi predicted, “It will be difficult within this year to return to the situation before Corona 19, such as the formation of a complete collective immunity and taking off the mask.” Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) Commissioner Jeong Eun-kyung also said, “The vaccination will begin, but that will not overcome Corona 19.”

Geun-Hyung Yoo [email protected] Reporter So-Young Kim