COVID-19 VACCINATIONS START

[Anchor Lead]

COVID-19 vaccination has finally started in Korea. At least 5,200 residents and employees of some 200 nursing facilities nationwide are scheduled to be inoculated today, the first day of vaccination.

[Pkg]

Starting at 9AM this morning, COVID-19 vaccinations began simultaneously at 213 nursing facilities nationwide. The AstraZeneca vaccines administered today contain 10 doses per vial. All 10 doses should be used within the day the vial has been opened. In order to prevent any vaccines from being discarded, vaccines will be administered in 10-person batches. At least 5,200 people are projected to be inoculated today alone. Residents and employees of some 200 nursing facilities nationwide are to get their shots at their respective facilities or at public health centers. Convalescent hospitals that received AstraZeneca vaccines may start administering shots at the site as medical staff are already stationed there. The first round of vaccination is to end by next month. Shots will be given to roughly 289,000 people in some 5,800 convalescent hospitals and other nursing facilities across the country. Health authorities expect the vaccination process to go smoothly as 94% of recent survey respondents agreed to getting vaccinated. The government is also figuring out whether or not other COVID-19 first responders including employees of high-risk medical facilities or paramedics are willing to receive vaccine shots. Inoculation of this priority group is expected to start early next month.