SEOUL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th September, 2020) The South Korean government will secure enough COVID-19 vaccines to administer to 60 percent of the country's population, which accounts for 30 million people, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on Tuesday.
"The government in cooperation with international organizations and foreign companies will ensure the supply of about 30 million doses of the [COVID-19] vaccine for about 60 percent of the country's population, depending on the situation with the development of vaccines, measures will be taken to conduct additional purchases," Chung said, as broadcast by the Yonhap news agency.
The prime minister also instructed the government to further secure a "sustainable" supply of vaccines, support vaccine development in the country and develop a vaccination plan.
According to the news agency, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) is set to develop a vaccination plan by the end of October.
In late August, the South Korean authorities announced their plan to vaccinate at least 70 percent of the country's population. Seoul has joined the COVAX Facility, a World Health Organization-led initiative to accelerate the development and distribution of an effective vaccine against COVID-19 and holds talks with private pharmaceutical companies. In addition, the Asian nation is developing its own vaccines, including the one by the SK Bioscience company.
