SEOUL (SOUTH KOREA) – President Moon Jae-in of South Korea faced mounting pressure from the public on Wednesday over his coronavirus vaccine procurement plans as the nation is struggling to stem the third wave of the pandemic. It also reported its second-highest daily count of infections.
Domestic media has lambasted the government’s approach to securing newly developed COVID-19 vaccines as too relaxed and overly reliant on locally produced shots, which will take more time than overseas options.
According to a poll by research firm Realmeter, six in 10 South Koreans believe urgency should be prioritised over safety when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines and that inoculations should begin as soon as possible given the rapid surge in new cases.
South Korea had 1,092 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, bringing the national tally to 52,550, with 739 deaths, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The record of 1,097 cases was logged on Sunday.
Late on Tuesday, Moon’s office said a public inoculation programme would “not begin too late”. The government has previously said vaccinations could start as early as February.
Health authorities have expressed concern over public perceptions that view the vaccination programme as a global competition, emphasizing instead the significance of confirming the safety of the shots.
The United States and the United Kingdom, suffering much higher cases and death rates, have no alternative to anti-virus measures other than the vaccines, Son Young-rae, a senior official at the health ministry, told a briefing.
“These countries are somewhat inappropriate for us to take as teachers, and considering the process of safety checks, we believe there is no reason for us to be the world’s first or second country to receive the vaccines,” Son said.