[Reporter's view] Unstable supply of imported vaccines

Moderna's unstable supply and demand disrupted the vaccination.

 

Moderna's vaccine was originally scheduled to come in 8.5 million doz in August, but Moderna informed that it would supply less than half of the vaccine due to laboratory problems related to production.

 

As a result, not only Moderna but also the first and second vaccinations of the same mRNA vaccine, Pfizer vaccine, will temporarily increase inoculation interval from four weeks to six weeks.

 

The quarantine authorities, which are preparing for the final vaccination in their 40s or younger due to the sudden supply disruption notice by Moderna, are also in trouble.

 

However, since Pfizer vaccine is being supplied properly, it is expected that there will be no change in the primary vaccination plan for 70% of the nation until September.

 

However, it is not known when the second vaccination will proceed normally because the supply and demand of modalities or vaccines will be resolved..

 

AstraZeneca vaccine is produced at SK Bioscience' Andong plant by several million doz at a time.

 

It is much more stable in terms of supply and demand than Pfizer and Moderna vaccine, which are imported by airplanes below 1 million doz per week.

 

The quarantine authorities used the amount of AZ vaccine contracted because the number of people aged 60 to 75 exceeded 10 million.

 

However, since all of them are imported vaccines except for AZ, we should have prepared for possible supply accidents.

 

It is the quarantine authorities that have not used the AZ vaccine well.

 

In February, when AZ vaccine was first approved, the MFDS allowed the elderly to be vaccinated despite a lack of clinical data, but quarantine authorities failed to ensure administration of the age of 65.

 

Since then, data has been accumulated abroad such as the UK, allowing vaccinations for older people aged 65 or older, but the government has decided to vaccinate the elderly aged 75 or older.

 

In April, people under the age of 30 were excluded from the inoculation list due to rare thrombosis, and in July, people under the age of 50 were not allowed to be inoculated.

 

As a result, those under the age of 50 who took the first AZ vaccine before July will be cross-inoculated with Pfizer vaccine during the second round.

 

Such inoculation policies are largely responsible for the unstable public opinion and quarantine authorities created by the media.

 

Of course, there are some reflections that reflect cases from other countries such as advanced countries, but it is questionable whether the conclusion was made based on public opinion rather than science.

 

Although AZ vaccine played a role in preventing infectious diseases among the elderly, the quarantine authorities should reflect on the fact that it is recognized as the next-order mRNA vaccine due to negative public opinion.

 

Also, for those aged 50 and 75 and older who can use AZ vaccine, it was changed to Moderna and Pfizer respectively, which prevented the use of AZ vaccine produced in Korea.

 

If AZ had been used for these age groups according to the inoculation criteria, it would have dealt with both modalities and supply and demand instability.

 

Quarantine authorities should think about the utilization of AZ vaccine.

 

Although there are no vaccines developed in Korea yet, it is fortunate that there are vaccines produced in Korea.

 

If the supply of imported vaccines such as Moderna is uncertain, it should take advantage of the fact that AZ domestic vaccine is being secured.