EXPANSION OF COVID-19 VACCINATIONS

[Anchor Lead]

South Korea has expanded its COVID-19 vaccination campaign to inoculate South Koreans aged 75 or above beginning Thursday. The second shipment of Pfizer vaccines arrived in the nation on Wednesday. Teachers at daycare centers and preschools will be able to receive shots starting on April 8.

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Starting today, COVID-19 vaccines will be administered to South Koreans born before December 31, 1946. Patients and employees of geriatric facilities are also eligible to receive jabs, regardless of their age. They will get the vaccine at 46 vaccination centers across the nation, which include eight in Seoul, five in Gyeonggi-do Province, two in Busan and three in Gwangju, Medical experts agree that it's better for people to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, even if they have chronic, underlying illnesses. Would-be recipients should fill in preliminary medical questionnaires fully before inoculation. They are also advised to avoid getting the shot if they don't feel well with other health issues on the day scheduled for vaccination. In time for the scheduled roll-out today, Pfizer vaccines arrived in South Korea on Wednesday. The 250,000 doses are the second delivery of the vaccines the government purchased through a direct contract. The shipment was transferred to freezer facilities right away, since they must be stored at an ultra-low temperature-- no higher than minus 70 degrees Celsius.

[Soundbite] Yoo Soo-an(SK Bioscience) : "We place top priority on maintaining the low temperature to keep the vaccines safe."

Vaccinations for teachers at daycare centers and preschools will soon begin. Fifteen-thousand school nurses and teachers for young children with disabilities will receive AstraZeneca shots starting April 8. They are allowed to go on paid sick leaves if they suffer from adverse reactions following inoculation. Substitute teachers will likely be assigned in order to minimize a vacuum in caring for children.

[Soundbite] Yoon Tae-ho(Central Disaster Management HQs) : "They can take a day off, sick leave or paid leave, depending on the situation of their employers."

Vaccinations for all daycare center teachers will begin in June. Starting today, authorities will conduct monthly coronavirus tests for all of over 300,000 daycare center teachers across the nation. This move is a part of stronger antivirus measures for daycare centers, which are now emerging as a key source of community transmissions.