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SEOUL: South Korea is in talks to buy 40 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Novavax, its local manufacturer SK bioscience said on Wednesday (January 20).
The deal, if an agreement is reached, will increase the supply of COVID-19 vaccines in the country to 146 million doses, more than enough for its 52 million inhabitants, and comes as it prepares to begin mass inoculations in February. .
SK bioscience, which also makes AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, is working on a technology transfer agreement with Novavax that will allow it to produce and sell vaccines on its own, SK Chemicals’ pharmaceutical arm said.
READ: Doctors question South Korea’s COVID-19 herd immunity target
An agreement with the South Korean government could be its first direct supply agreement.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in visited SK’s workplace on Wednesday and said the agreement between Novavax and SK bioscience raised the possibility of obtaining additional doses of vaccines.
The country has already secured 106 million doses to enable coverage of 56 million people from the global COVAX vaccine supply facility and Western drug manufacturers including Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.
READ: COVID-19: South Korea expands ban on social gatherings across the country
Moon’s visit comes as his administration faces criticism for failing to take the necessary steps to achieve its goal of achieving herd immunity to the coronavirus through mass vaccinations by November.
The government had set a schedule calling for vaccinations of key individuals to begin in February, with 32 million to 36 million people vaccinated by September.
South Korea reported 404 new coronavirus cases as of Tuesday, bringing the country’s count to 73,518 cases, with 1,300 deaths.
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