정부, 얀센•화이자와 코로나 백신 계약 체결
Our starting point tonight: South Korea's Prime Minister told a televised briefing today that the nation has signed deals with Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson's Janssen to import Covid-19 vaccines to cover up to 16 million people.
This as the country grapples with the third wave of the pandemic.
He said Pfizer's shipment is expected in the third quarter of next year and Janssen's will be ready for inoculation from quarter two.
Hong Yoo leads our coverage tonight.
South Korea has inked contracts to purchase COVID-19 vaccines from global pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Janssen.
The contract with Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson, will provide enough vaccines for 6 million people from the second quarter of next year.
That's two million more than previously agreed.
The government has also acquired enough vaccines for 10 million people from Pfizer.
These vaccines are scheduled to arrive in Korea in the third quarter of 2021, but the government says it is looking for ways to speed up the process.
"We are doing everything we can at a national level and are separately carrying out detailed negotiations to bring forward the introduction period of the vaccine to within the second quarter."
South Korea has also signed a vaccine purchase deal with AstraZeneca to bring in 10 million doses... to make a total of 26 million doses acquired.
The government is expected to bring 10 million doses more from Moderna and another 10 million through COVAX facility - a global initiative that brings together governments and manufacturers.
The government is aiming to sign a contract with Moderna in January.
Meanwhile, Janssen is expected to end its third clinical trial in the first quarter of the New Year... while inoculation of Pfizer's vaccine has already started in the UK and the U.S.
Janssen's is the only vaccine out of the four to be introduced in Korea that only needs one dose while the others need two.
No severe side effects have been observed from all four apart from mild headaches, tiredness, and pain where the vaccine was injected.
Hong Yoo, Arirang News.
