Early supply of Pfizer in exchange for a vaccine with Israel

Arrived at Incheon Airport at 7:15 a.m. on the 7th, use immediately this month and return Sept. to Nov.

The Minister of Health and Welfare, Kwon Deok-chul signed a vaccine swap agreement today (6th), which will receive 700,000 pfizer vaccines from the Israeli government in July and return them sequentially from September to November.

 

Recently, the Israeli government was looking for ways to make effective use of the vaccine, with some of the Pfizer vaccines (valid July 31st) expected to remain in use in July.

 

The vaccine exchange between Korea and Israel will take place in consideration of the cold chain management base and the fact that the vaccination can be completed in a short period due to the high participation rate of vaccination.

 

Since the announcement of the expiration date in Israel, the number of applicants for vaccination has increased and the exchange volume has been confirmed to be 700,000 after consulting for the first 800,000 vaccinations.

 

Korea has secured enough supplies to introduce about 80 million batches in the third quarter, including about 10 million in July, but the vaccine exchange will speed up the vaccination process.

 

The exchange of vaccines between South Korea and Israel has been largely attributed to the trust between the two countries through diplomatic efforts between South Korea and Israel.

 

Since the launch of COVAX, a multilateral consultative body for responding to COVID-19, South Korea and Israel have held close informal consultations and discussed vaccine cooperation as similar countries.

 

Recently, the two sides discussed ways to cooperate with vaccines, including the Israeli foreign minister's visit to Korea in May this year, and such efforts served as the basis for successful exchange of vaccines.

 

Pfizer vaccine, which will be supplied early through the exchange of vaccines with Israel, are scheduled to arrive at Incheon International Airport at 7:15 a.m.

 

on the 7th.

 

This vaccine is already licensed in Belgium and is also being used in Israel for vaccination in July.

 

The government plans to complete customs clearance immediately and conduct Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) so that it can be used quickly after the vaccine arrives.

 

Afterwards, the MFDS will conduct its own quality inspection and domestic delivery procedures, and will be used for vaccination from the 13th.

 

Pfizer vaccine (700,000 doses) to be supplied this time will be used for vaccination in addition to about 10 million doses originally scheduled for July.

 

First of all, autonomous vaccination of local governments for Seoul and Gyeonggi will be implemented early from the 13th in order to stabilize quarantine in the Seoul metropolitan area.

 

The government plans to supply Pfizer vaccines (340,000 people) to Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, where confirmed cases are concentrated, to stabilize the quarantine by short-term intensive vaccinations for job groups with high public contact (two weeks from the 13th).

 

The local government will select the target groups, including jobs that have a high risk of spreading due to high contact with the public, and start vaccinating each vaccination center with a Pfizer vaccine on the 13th.

 

The vaccination will be conducted at 43 vaccination centers in Seoul (about 200,000) and 51 vaccination centers in Gyeonggi Province (about 140,000).

 

In addition, the government will expand the size of autonomous vaccinations for local governments, which will be implemented later this month.

 

It plans to expand the autonomous vaccination of local governments to 800,000 people, which was originally planned to be 440,000 at the end of July, to reflect Israel's introduction.

 

Autonomous vaccination of local governments will be carried out for 2 million people by August.

 

The government will start vaccinating daycare centers, kindergarten, and elementary school first and second-grade faculty and care workers (380,000 people) among education and childcare workers originally scheduled to be vaccinated on July 28th (Tuesday).

 

Advance reservations will take place from midnight on the 8th to 18th on the 10th, and those who are eligible for reservation will be informed how to book by text message by tomorrow.

 

Other reservations and vaccinations for education and childcare workers (elementary and junior high school teachers, children's facilities, etc.) shall be carried out as originally planned.

 

Since then, the government will return Pfizer vaccine received from Israel sequentially from September to November, when much of the vaccination was carried out in Korea.

 

Kwon Deok-chul, head of the pan-government vaccine introduction TF team, explained, "This Korea-Israel vaccine exchange is a win-win strategy that can speed up vaccination during the summer vacation season by receiving vaccines earlier than scheduled for Korea." Jeong Eun-kyeong, the Commissioner of KDCA, said, "The importance of international vaccine cooperation is increasing at a time when vaccines are scarce around the world.

 

"The vaccine exchange means early introduction of vaccines through international cooperation domestically, and internationally, it is an example of efficient use of vaccines." She said, "In particular, each country needs a vaccine at a different time, and the exchange of vaccines between Korea and Israel is expected to serve as a model for revitalizing international cooperation.

 

In the future, we will also provide vaccines first, considering the vaccine supply and vaccination situation, and actively review the vaccine exchange we receive when we need it, so that vaccines can be effectively received internationally."