<Anchor> The
number of new corona patients was 130,000, a decrease of about 40,000 from yesterday (18th), but the spread has not stopped.
In the United States, it is said that an improved vaccine to block Omicron mutation will be available within a few weeks.
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Moderna's improved vaccine was first approved in the UK on the 15th.
[Steve Barclay / UK Health Minister: The UK is the first country to license an improved vaccine through the MHRA.
UK patients will receive the broad immunity provided by the bivalent vaccine.]
The vaccine is a bivalent vaccine against the Wuhan virus and the original omicron, BA.1 mutation.
In the United States, there is also the possibility of introducing an improved vaccine that is effective against BA.5 mutations.
The White House coronavirus response coordinator expects the vaccine to be available three weeks after approval of the vaccine proceeds.
In Korea, the Moderna vaccine is under review, and the Pfizer vaccine is under a preliminary review of clinical data.
Both are improved vaccines with immunity to the Wuhan virus and the BA.1 mutation.
In the case of the Moderna vaccine, the 4th dose was 6.3 times more effective in preventing the current BA.5 mutation compared to the 3rd dose.
The domestic introduction period is expected around October.
An official from Moderna said, "Once the improved vaccine is approved, it will be produced on consignment at Samsung Biologics plants in Korea as well as overseas plants, and we will cooperate with the supply as much as possible."
The quarantine authorities are also planning to introduce an improved vaccine targeting BA.5, which has become the dominant species, in the future.
[Im Ki / Head of the Corona 19 Immunization Management Team: Pfizer and Moderna are also developing a BA.5-based vaccine, and we will prepare and guide our vaccination plan according to the progress.] When an
improved vaccine is introduced, high-risk groups Inoculation is expected to be prioritized around the
(Video editing: Park Ji-in)