41 were vaccinated in 11 days with K-COVID-19 vaccines

Will booster shots become an opportunity for K-COVID-19 vaccines?

Government allows 3rd and 4th booster shots with SKYCovione...starting from the 19th

Only 41 receive primary vaccination with SKYCovione as 1st and 2nd vaccination

Vaccination with Moderna’s Omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccine to start in October...will become a variable for domestic vaccine demand

SK Bioscience’s COVID-19 vaccine is being released

To address the low vaccination rate for Korea’s first homegrown COVID-19 vaccine, SKYCovione, the government has greatly expanded the eligibility for the vaccine.

 

With the expansion, whether allowing the use of domestic vaccines to those who received their 1st to 3rd vaccinations will increase utilization of homegrown vaccines is gaining attention.

 

However, the release of the Omicron-specific vaccine in Kores that is scheduled for next month is expected to act as a variable.

 

During the opening remarks made by the first general coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, Ki-Il Lee (2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare), during the CDSCH meeting held on the morning of the 16th, Lee said, “The CDSCH will expand the scope of vaccine eligibility for SKYCovione from the primary (1st and 2nd) vaccination to 3rd and 4th booster shots.” With the decision, people may reserve their 3rd and 4th vaccinations with SKYCovione through http://ncvr.kdca.go.kr or the call center, or receive same-day vaccinations at public health centers or some assigned medical institutions.

 

The government explained that SKYCovione can be used as booster shots as its safety and efficacy of the SKYCovione have been demonstrated.

 

Clinical trials for SKYCovione booster vaccinations, an investigator clinical trial led by KDCA, are currently in progress, and its results have not yet been released.

 

According to the interim results of the trial, SKYCovione induced neutralizing antibody responses an average of 11 times higher in the original COVID-19 virus (Wuhan strain), 51.9 times higher for Omicron BA.1, and 28.2 times higher for Omicron BA.5 after vaccination with SKYCovione in 5 treatment groups.

 

After the CDSCH meeting, Young-rae Sohn, Head of the Social Strategy Unit of the Central Disaster Management Headquarters, explained, “We first recommend mRNA vaccines for those who are receiving booster shots, however, those who do not wish to further receive vaccinations with mRNA vaccines for various reasons, such as discomfort after receiving primary and secondary vaccinations with mRNA vaccines, may receive additional vaccinations with SKYCovione.” In other words, Pfizer and Moderna’s mRNA vaccines are first recommended as boosters until formal approvals are granted to SKYCovione in that indication, but those aged 18 years or older who cannot or do not want to receive mRNA vaccines can receive SKYCovione as boosters.

 

Such a decision has been deemed to be made despite the non-availability of clinical trial results for the indication as a preemptive measure to increase the utility of domestic vaccines.

 

Although vaccinations started for SKYCovione on the 5th, the rate has been very low.

 

According to the KDCA, the cumulative number of people that received vaccination with SKYCovione as of midnight on the 16th was 41 (1st vaccination), a mere 5.8 persons per day.

 

This is less than 0.1% of the initial lot of 609,000 SKYCovione vaccines of the 10,000,000 vaccines purchased in advance by the government.

 

This is because 97% of those eligible for primary vaccinations with SKYCovione have already received vaccinations.

 

On the other hand, as the vaccination rate dropped greatly to reach 75.1%, for the 3rd vaccination and 16.5% for the 4th vaccination, allowing the use of SKYCovione as such booster shots are expected to greatly increase the use of SKYCovione.

 

However, one variable that lies in its use is that foreign vaccines targeting the Omicron variant have already arrived in Korea and will begin vaccinations next month.

 

On the 15th, 805,000 doses of the bivalent vaccine by Moderna that targets both the original strain (Wuhan strain) and the BA.1 subvariant arrived in Korea.

 

806,000 courses of the bivalent vaccine additionally arrived on the 17th.

 

Pfizer’s bivalent vaccine is also being reviewed.

 

The KDCA has recommended the new bivalent vaccine as a priority for high-risk groups, such as those aged 60 years or older, those hospitalized or serving in long-term care facilities, and those who are immunocompromised, and as a second priority for people in their 50s, those with underlying diseases, and healthcare workers.

 

In addition, group facility officials and adults aged 18 to 49 are also allowed to receive vaccinations but were excluded from subject recommendations.

 

Therefore, it is expected that demand for the Omicron-targeting vaccines will become higher than that for SKYCovione in October.

 

The demand for SKYCovione may increase in groups who are not subject to the recommendations made for the bivalent vaccines, but whether this alone will increase the vaccination rate for SKYCovione remains in question, as the overall will to receive vaccinations in itself had dampened greatly.

 

According to the ‘COVID-19 vaccine awareness survey’ published by Byung Chul Chun’s team of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Vaccine Innovation Center at Korea University College of Medicine, less than half –45.7%-- of the 1,500 adult survey respondents over the age of 19 responded that they are willing to receive COVID-19 vaccinations this winter.

 

30.5% responded that they have no will to receive COVID-19 vaccinations at all.

 

In other words, 3 of 10 respondents said they would not receive vaccinations.

 

Furthermore, with Moderna and Pfizer hastening the introduction of their bivalent vaccines that target Omicron subvariants (BA.4/5), their gap with domestic vaccines is expected to widen further.

 

The authorities are discussing the possibility of receiving marketing authorization for its Omicron subvariant-targeting bivalent vaccines that were approved by the US on the 31st of last month.