VACCINATIONS CONTINUE

[Anchor Lead]

COVID-19 vaccinations are picking up speed in South Korea as those aged 65 to 74 began to receive shots from Thursday and inoculations have also expanded to medical facilities nationwide. On Thursday alone, some 640-thousand people received their first doses.

[Pkg]

People line up at the hospital carrying their IDs and medical examination papers.

[Soundbite] "Please stand on the footprint mark."

They go through a simple physical checkup.

[Soundbite] "Your don't weigh much. So take just one Tylenol instead of two which is normally recommended for adults."

Then they wait for their turn to get the jab. From Thursday, vaccinations for the 65 to 74 age group who made prior reservations began at 13-thousand hospitals and clinics nationwide.

[Soundbite] Song Gwan-ik(Received jab) : "I was nervous up until entering the hospital but now that I’ve received it, I’m quite relieved."

[Soundbite] Im Soon-hee(Received jab) : "No particular symptoms so far. I hope everyone gets vaccinated so we can collectively guard against COVID-19."

On Thursday, a record 646-thousand people received their first shots including 562-thousand aged 65 to 74. The daily figure of vaccine recipients is more than double the previous high of 307-thousand recorded on April 30. On this first day of accelerated vaccine roll out Head of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Jung Eun-kyeong paid a visit to an inoculation center and assured the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccines.

[Soundbite] (Vaccinated person) : "Vaccines should have been introduced early so that all Koreans could get them."

[Soundbite] Jung Eun-kyeong(KDCA director) : "We will work harder for a speedy roll out. I assure the safety of vaccines which can’t be evaluated by the price difference."

Health authorities noted that reported side effects will also increase with the ramped up vaccination drive, and asked citizens to carefully observe any symptoms such as fever at least for the first three days after getting a shot.

[Soundbite] Kim Ki-nam(Vaccination TaskForce) : "Avoid aggressive activities after vaccination and look for any peculiar symptoms that last for more than 3 hours."

People can make reservations through June 3. So far, the reservation rate for those aged 70 to 74 has surpassed 70%, and 50% for those in their 60s. Starting July, vaccinations will also begin for people in their 50s, high school seniors and teachers at elementary, middle and high schools. Pfizer vaccine shots which present more difficulties due to storage conditions will also be available at 15-hundred regional hospitals from July.