GOVT’S VACCINATION PLAN FOR 3Q

[Anchor Lead]

The government announced its vaccination plan for the third quarter as more than 14 million Koreans have been vaccinated with at least the first dose. People in their 50s will start getting their shots in the last week of July while vaccine administration for those from 18 to 49 years old is to begin in August in the order of reservation.

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Vaccine reservation and administration for people in their 50s are to begin next month. Individuals between the ages of 55 and 59 can start reserving their shots in the third week of July and get inoculated in the last week of the month. Vaccine reservation for those in the 50 to 54 age group starts a week later and shots will be administered beginning early August. Vaccination for individuals under the age of 49 is slated to take place in August in the order reservations are made regardless of age. However, the government hasn’t announced which vaccines will be given to which age group. Instead, the government explained that once the vaccine supplies and roll-out schedules are finalized, the public will be able to reserve their shots online or through call centers two to three weeks before vaccination.

[Soundbite] Jeong Eun-kyeong(KDCA Director) : "Since the vaccination plan should be detailed, I’m not able to tell you which vaccines will be used."

Second doses of vaccines are to be given mainly until the third week of July. Roughly 760,000 people who are scheduled to get their second doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in July will be getting the Pfizer vaccine as the second dose instead in a mix-and-match vaccination plan. The government’s timetable also includes people who will be at the top of the vaccination priority list in early July. Senior citizens over the age of 60 who weren’t inoculated due to vaccine shortages and essential workers younger than 30 will get their shots first. Starting in the fourth week of July, high school seniors and faculty members will be vaccinated in order to begin in-person classes for all students in the fall term. Administration of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines for teaching staff at kindergartens, primary and secondary schools as well as childcare providers will also begin sometime in July. With more than 14 million Koreans having received at least one dose of the vaccine, the government plans to vaccinate 36 million or 70% of the entire population by September.