The government announced that there is a side that has had some margin due to the small number of confirmed cases in relation to the delay in securing a vaccine for the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) compared to other countries. It was determined that the COVID-19 quarantine was doing relatively well, so it was attempted to secure the vaccine after confirming the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine in the country where vaccination was started. However, among experts, there are many opinions that vaccination should be made cautiously but secured first.
Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun appeared on KBS’Sunday Diagnosis’ on the 20th and said, “At the time the government started discussing the introduction of the Corona 19 vaccine, the number of confirmed cases was small, so I did not think that it would depend heavily on the vaccine.” In July, when the government created the Vaccine Task Force (TF), the number of new confirmed cases per day was around 100. Prime Minister Jung said, “We had the idea of using vaccines while watching those countries (where there were many confirmed cases) using vaccines. We have thorough quarantine, minimizing patients through treatment, and then using the vaccine. We have devised a strategy to get out of the situation the fastest.” The introduction of the vaccine was followed by the development of quarantine and treatment.
Some experts point out that the government’s judgment is a mistake. Jeong Ki-seok, a professor of respiratory medicine at Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, said, “The vaccination should be carefully but secured.” “Corona 19 cannot be prevented with quarantine and treatment. The strategy should have been prioritized on vaccines.” Eom Jung-sik, professor of infectious medicine at Gachon University Gil Hospital, said, “We are a country where it is difficult to produce vaccines right away, and we understand the position of the government that could not aggressively invest in situations where everything is uncertain. There is a regret that it was judged.” Since the Corona 19 vaccine is a vaccine that has never been used, and the development period is short, there are no experts that agree with the government’s judgment. Although the number of confirmed cases is much smaller than that of Korea, some countries are actively seeking vaccines. As of the 20th, the cumulative number of confirmed cases in New Zealand is 2,116, which is significantly less than in Korea, but the vaccine project has been started in May this year, and contracts with Pfizer, Janssen, NovaVax, and AstraZeneca have already been completed. New Zealand’s pre-purchased vaccine volume is more than enough for the entire population (482 million). Recently, the New Zealand government is even pushing ahead with a plan to donate free to the island countries of the South Pacific. As criticism continued for the delay in the introduction of the vaccine, the government is negotiating a final deal with Pfizer and Janssen about the timing of the vaccine introduction, which is about to reach a final contract. A government official said, “The negotiations are still in progress. Until the final contract is signed, it should be considered flexible.” Janssen is expected to make a final contract as early as next week and Pfizer after that. The timing of introduction is known to be specified on a quarterly basis in the final contract.
In the case of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which has already been signed, the government said that the timing of introduction was not specified in the contract. “The CEO of AstraZeneca announced that it will supply (vaccine) between February and March. “After the two-way meeting, AstraZeneca confirmed it with the minutes of the meeting,” he explained. Although the contract does not indicate the timing of the introduction, it is a promise that records remain between global companies and the government, meaning that the contents of the meeting are binding, so there is no fear of delaying the introduction of the vaccine. Prime Minister Chung said, “We are collecting and verifying the clinical contents of AstraZeneca,” and said, “I think (the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety) will be able to grant approval early next year.”
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