The reason for the delay in the introduction of the vaccine “There were few confirmed cases and our vaccine will be launched at the end of next year”

Entry 2020.12.20 19:08

Other countries are moving to ensure vaccines starting in May.
TF composition only in July … There are few confirmed cases, so I am not active
Also consider the Korean vaccine that is expected by the end of next year.
“The position was to get the necessary amount of vaccine before our vaccine came out.”

While corona vaccination developed by pharmaceutical company Pfizer and Modena has started, vaccination against AstraZeneca is expected to start in Korea only in February-March next year. Amid criticism for the delay in introducing the vaccine, Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun revealed the reason on the 20th. Korea had few confirmed cases around July, when other countries had signed pre-purchase contracts with pharmaceutical companies, and By the end of next year, a corona vaccine developed by a Korean pharmaceutical company was expected to be released.

Prime Minister Chung appeared on KBS ‘Sunday Diagnosis’ that day and asked why the US, UK and Europe started getting the corona vaccine, but asked why we are delayed: “We created a Vaccine Task Force (TF ) within the government in July of this year. When the TF was activated (one day), the number of confirmed cases was about 100, “he said.” So there is a side where I did not think about increasing dependence on the vaccine “. He added: “At that time, the experts also looked at the use of other countries and (later) we asked ourselves to use it.”

The ‘July’ point announced by Prime Minister Chung is already too late. In mid-May, the US White House launched a team called ‘Operation Warp Speed’ as a control tower responsible for developing and securing corona vaccines. When Bloomberg compiled in early August, there were 1.3 billion doses of vaccines with which the US, UK and Japan had already signed contracts. At the time, Korea was ‘0’, and so far, only 10 million AstraZeneca vaccines have been completed.

Prime Minister Chung also revealed that the introduction of vaccines developed by Pfizer and Modena was delayed in “vaccines and home treatments.” “There is a thing called vaccine nationalism,” he said. “Korea is a little behind multinational companies, but we are a country with the capacity to develop vaccines ourselves.” He added: “We hope that our vaccine will be released by the end of next year,” he said. “Our position was to get the necessary amount of vaccine on time.”

President Moon Jae-in also visited SK Bioscience, which is developing a corona vaccine on the 15th, and said: “Even if other countries manage to develop corona vaccines and treatments first and we can import them, we have the will to be successful in self-development until the end”. He once said, “I think K-Bio will become hope and pride for us once again after K-Defense.”

The government plans to introduce the AstraZeneca vaccine in the first quarter of next year and begin vaccination. Prime Minister Chung suggested the expected vaccination time, saying: “February at the latest, March at the latest.” The AstraZeneca vaccine is expected to gain approval for use from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the middle of next year. Prior to this, the Korean Food and Drug Administration approves the use and begins vaccination.

Regarding concerns about whether it is possible to start vaccination without FDA approval, Prime Minister Chung said: “When you decide that it is the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, please refer to the approval status of major countries such as states. United States and United Kingdom “. There were reports that it would get approval, ”he explained.

Of the ’44 million corona vaccines’ the government plans to introduce, 10 million are the AstraZeneca vaccine, and the rest are 10 million from Pfizer, 10 million from Modena and 4 million from Janssen. Prime Minister Chung replied: “There is no promise for the first quarter” to the question, “Is there any chance that Pfizer, Moder or the vaccine will be available in the first quarter and get vaccinated?”

Prime Minister Chung said: “Countries where corona patients have come forward such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada have paid a lot for the development of vaccines from multinational pharmaceutical companies in advance. He also said:” The public and the public they are waging all-out war and trying to resolve the public’s concerns and concerns about the vaccine. “