S. KOREA’S VACCINATION ROLLOUT

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The government says COVID-19 vaccinations are going smoothly, as more than 300,000 people have received shots in nine days since Korea launched its inoculation program late last month. Health authorities are urging the public to get vaccinated, saying most of the 3,600 reported cases of adverse reactions were not serious.

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Nearly 315,000 people are estimated to have received their first round of COVID-19 vaccines in the first nine days of Korea's inoculation program. This means 41 percent of roughly 760,000 people who are eligible to receive jabs in March have gotten vaccinated.

[Soundbite] Chung Sye-kyun(Prime Minister) : "The inoculation program is proceeding smoothly in its initial stages. This is quite faster than the countries that began vaccinations around the same time as South Korea."

The government also devised detailed schedules to introduce vaccines with an aim to develop herd immunity by November. Under the plan, the nation will receive 350,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines this month through the COVAX Facility, the global vaccine procurement platform. 700,000 doses will additionally arrive between April and May. In case of the Pfizer vaccine, South Korea will get 500,000 doses this month and then three million more doses starting in April. As for Janssen and Moderna vaccines, the government is discussing roll-out schedules with suppliers. With the inoculation campaign speeding up, a total of 3,680 cases of adverse reactions have been reported so far. Two more deaths have also been reported. A woman in her 50s died four days after she received the jab, while another woman in her 60s died in eight days, following the vaccination. Health authorities said no link has been confirmed between the deaths and shots, adding that an epidemiological study is under way. They reiterated the need to get vaccinated against COVID-19, saying most of the side effects are not serious.

[Soundbite] Chung Sye-kyun(Prime Minister) : "Medical experts agree that even those with underlying diseases need to get vaccinated."

Meanwhile, the KDCA will soon decide on whether to administer AstraZeneca vaccines to those aged 65 or above.