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Recently, a lot of residual vaccines are coming out. Currently, only those who receive the first vaccination can apply for the residual vaccine, but as the number of people who received the first vaccine is increasing, there is an argument that it should be actively used for the second vaccination.
Reporter Kim Deok-hyun reports.
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15 million people aged 18 to 49 were vaccinated on the 26th.
Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are used for vaccination, with more than 60,000 doses remaining on weekdays.
As the volume of inoculation increased, the amount of remaining vaccine also increased.
However, with the primary vaccination rate exceeding 90% for those in their 50s, 60s, and 70s, the earlier the vaccinations between the ages of 18 and 49, the fewer the remaining vaccine recipients.
Most of the remaining vaccine is used for the first dose.
Early dose of the second dose is only possible at the hospital where it is scheduled, and whether or not it is allowed varies by hospital.
The government has set a target for the primary vaccination rate at 70% of the population before Chuseok, and plans to reach a maximum of 1 million people a day.
However, the problem is that as the number of daily inoculations increases, residual vaccines may accumulate and the amount of waste may increase.
This is why the argument for using the residual vaccine for the second dose is persuasive.
[Choi Jae-wook/Professor of Preventive Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine: If necessary, come sooner and get those who can fit 6 weeks into 4 weeks, and release all (reservation restrictions) so that they can get the remaining vaccine quickly, whether it is the 1st or 2nd dose.]
There is also an opinion to minimize the amount of waste by using the residual vaccine for booster vaccinations for the elderly over 60 who have not yet been vaccinated or for those who have passed 6 months after completing the vaccination.