AstraZeneca is likely to become the first vaccine in S. Korea. (Image via DW)

S. Korea approves AstraZeneca vaccine for all ages

South Korea (S. Korea) reportedly has issued its emergency use authorization (EUA) for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine from the British-Swedish pharmaceutical, AstraZeneca-Oxford. The EUA also allows the vaccine to be injected for the elderly aged 65 years and above.

Speaking at Wednesday's press conference, S. Korea's Vice Minister of Health, Kim Gan-lip, stated that the authorization for the AstraZeneca vaccine will be issued once the British-Swedish company submitted the complete result of the clinical trial. For the elderly aged 65 years and above, Kim had added another precautionary line to prevent mortality. If approved, AstraZeneca will be the first COVID-19 vaccine distributor in S. Korea.

Kim revealed that his team had asked AstraZeneca to send its result of the clinical trial in April 2020 involving 30,000 Americans, including 7,500 elderly. Some European countries had warned that the AstraZeneca vaccine is only reserved for those aged 18-64 years old. Therefore, the EUA issued by S. Korea created another concern that the vaccine might be lethal for the elderly. 

Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) stated that the mass inoculation will take place starting 26 February with 1.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

For its initial stage, the S. Korean Government prioritized vaccine shots for the elderly and medical workers. AstraZeneca and Oxford asserted that their vaccine is proven effective in triggering the immune response in the elderly. Afterward, the S. Korean Government will target around 10 million people at high risk of COVID-19 infection in July, hoping to achieve herd immunity by November 2021.

Currently, KDCA is reviewing the effectiveness rate of the AstraZeneca vaccine against the new variant of COVID-19 derived from England and S. Africa. Ahead of the Lunar New Year, S. Korea saw a decrease in its daily COVID-19 cases. To this day, S. Korea recorded 81,930 cases and 1,486 COVID-19-related deaths.

Source: https://reut.rs/3rHOpai