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For those who do not produce enough antibodies even after receiving the corona vaccine, there is an injection-type treatment that can be used like a vaccine.

It is a drug called 'Ibu Shield', and it has been confirmed that the budget that the government applied for to buy it was cut recently in the process of deliberation on the National Assembly's supplementary budget bill.



Correspondent Kim Deok-hyun reported exclusively.



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Mr. A, in his 60s, admitted to a nursing hospital, is a patient with chronic renal failure who needs dialysis three times a week.



Even after receiving the vaccine, antibodies were not formed well, so after the second vaccination, it was not possible to decide whether to do the 3rd or 4th vaccination recommended by the government.



[Immune-compromised son of Mr. A: I was so worried and fought with his family.

He's on the side that shouldn't fit and the side that should fit.

Nursing hospitals have a lot of vulnerable people right now...

.]



There are not a few people with such immunocompromised people in other countries.



This is why AstraZeneca, UK, developed 'Ibushield', a treatment that directly injects antibodies by injection.



The government has been pushing for the introduction of Ibu Shield in consideration of tens of thousands of domestic immunocompromised people.



In the recent supplementary budget, a purchase cost of KRW 39.6 billion was applied for a total of 20,000 episodes.



[Jeong Eun-kyung/Director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (last 8 days): If you receive an organ transplant or chemotherapy, it is difficult to form antibodies even if you are vaccinated.

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However, the National Assembly has cut the relevant budget in its entirety.



The reason was that the urgency was lower than other quarantine budgets.



Patients who find it difficult to administer not only existing vaccines but also oral medications are bound to be disappointed.



The government explained that part of the purchase would be possible with the existing reserve budget, but the United States has already purchased 1.7 million units and France has purchased 150,000 units, and competition between countries has already occurred, so it cannot be guaranteed to be introduced quickly.



(Video editing: Jeon Min-gyu, VJ: Oh Se-gwan)