From next week, organizations that vaccinate the COVID-19 vaccine must notify the type and expiration date of the vaccine to be used on the same day in the form of a notice.
The Corona 19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team (Promotion Team) announced at a regular briefing on the 10th, "We will prepare and implement measures to prevent expired vaccines so that the public can receive COVID-19 vaccinations with confidence." .
This is in response to a series of recent cases of out-of-date vaccines being vaccinated.
As of 00:00 on the 6th, a total of 1,386 cases of vaccine misinoculation were confirmed in Korea. Most were.
Therefore, the promotion group plans to attach additional stickers with the expiration date after thawing on the inside and side of the box, as well as on the outside of the box where the vaccine is divided, so that each inoculation institution can thoroughly check the expiration date of the vaccine.
This is to check the expiration date once again in the process of preparing the inoculation.
The promotion team also plans to improve the COVID-19 vaccination computer system so that public health centers and inoculation agencies can check the expiration date of each vaccine, while at the same time providing a 'warning' pop-up window for vaccines with an expiration date of less than 72 hours.
In addition, the promotion group plans to make use of vaccines that are nearing their expiration date as 'remaining vaccines' regardless of whether they are opened or not.
Precautions to be observed by each entrusted medical institution are also increased.
Vaccination institutions must self-check the expiration date of each vaccine before inoculation every day through the expiration date check daily checklist.
In particular, we made it compulsory to post the 'Vaccine of the Day' notice in the waiting room and inoculation room from the 13th so that those who are vaccinated can easily check the type and expiration date of the vaccine to be vaccinated on the day.
We do not plan to pay the inoculation implementation fee for cases where the expired vaccine was incorrectly vaccinated without properly following these rules.
In addition, the competent local government may take administrative measures, such as warning and termination of consignment contracts, against inoculation institutions that have received incorrect vaccinations.
Meanwhile, the promotion team encouraged active vaccination, saying, "The effectiveness and safety of vaccination are the same regardless of the number of days remaining until the expiration date."
Currently, each consigned medical institution is receiving a refrigerated (2-8°C) COVID-19 vaccine, but in the case of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, they must be vaccinated within 31 days and 30 days from the date they are thawed from the frozen state, respectively.
AstraZeneca vaccine can be stored and vaccinated for up to 6 months in refrigerated conditions.
(Photo = provided by the Corona 19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, Yonhap News)