<Anchor> The Korean
government is holding final negotiations with global pharmaceutical companies to secure a sufficient amount of Corona 19 vaccine.
However, it has been reported that the negotiations are being delayed because pharmaceutical companies have requested immunity from legal liability even if side effects of this vaccine occur.
Reporter Nam Joo-hyun reports.
<Reporter>
Health authorities are currently promoting the purchase of a COVID-19 vaccine from at least five global pharmaceutical companies, including AstraZeneca and NovaVax, Pfizer and Modena, and Johnson & Johnson.
In order to introduce 44 million people, or 85% of the total population, we have also secured a budget of 1.3 trillion won, including about 360 billion won this year and 900 billion won next year.
The amount of vaccines from which companies will be announced will be announced about next week after the contract is completed.
[Lee Sang-won / Head of Epidemiological Investigation and Analysis, Central Defense Response Headquarters: I know that the request for immunity is commonly requested not only in Korea but also in all countries.] It
usually takes more than 10 years from vaccine development to verification. This is because, as they shortened this period to about one year, concerns about efficacy and safety increased.
The United States, Europe, and Australia already have a system that directly compensates the state for vaccination damage, or has introduced measures that the government asks if a victim wins against a pharmaceutical company.
With the prolonged corona19 epidemic in the winter, it is predicted that our health authorities are highly likely to accommodate the demands of global pharmaceutical companies to some extent.