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Moderna’s headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Yonhap News)

The South Korean government announced that it is currently negotiating the purchase of five COVID-19 vaccines including those made by the US pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna, the second of which released interim Phase 3 clinical testing results on Nov. 16 showing a prevention rate of more than 90%. The government’s target is to finish COVID-19 vaccinations for those requiring priority inoculation ahead of influenza vaccinations in late fall 2021.

In a regular briefing on Nov. 17, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) Deputy Director Kwon Jun-wook explained, “In a recent meeting of the COVID-19 vaccine introduction advisory committee, around five of the 10 vaccines that have entered Phase 3 clinical testing were selected, while those with insufficient clinical data or information were ruled out.”

“Experts have agreed that we need to pursue a staggered pre-purchasing of these vaccines,” he added.

Explaining that “bilateral negotiations are proceeding into their final stages with Pfizer and Moderna,” Kwon said, “We should be able to talk about the overall contract situation, progress, and acquired volumes by as early as the end of this month or the beginning of December.”

The South Korean government has been pursuing a two-track strategy of using the international project COVAX Facility to co-purchase and distribute 10 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine once one was developed, while acquiring 20 million more through negotiations with individual global vaccine development companies. The KDCA explained on Nov. 17 that it planned to proceed with steps to enable the acquisition of an additional vaccine volume 60% greater than South Korea’s total population for domestic introduction.

Kwon also made specific mention of a target timetable for vaccinations. On Nov. 17, he said, “Our target is to complete vaccinations for priority vaccination candidates before the influenza vaccinations in late fall of next year.” At the same time, he added, “If the start date for vaccinations is moved up in the US, Europe, or other countries that begin vaccinations first, then we will also proceed with domestic vaccinations at a suitable time in line with that.”

According to Kwon’s explanation, the date of domestic vaccinations could vary with the start date of vaccinations in other countries as potential side effects are observed. In connection with this, he said, “We’re keeping in mind the [expert] opinion that calls for two inoculations averaging one month apart, as well as two months for observing side effects.” In the Pfizer and Moderna cases, the intervals between the first and second inoculations are three and four weeks, respectively.

Moderna, which announced interim Phase 3 clinical testing findings for its COVID-19 vaccine the day before, has been drawing attention for both the 94.5% prevention rate of its vaccine as well as the ease of storage at healthcare institutions and pharmacies. Moderna explained that its vaccine can be stored for up to 30 days at a standard refrigeration temperature of 2-8°C, and can be stored and transported for as long as six months at a temperature of -20°C. The Pfizer vaccine, which was previously announced to have an effectiveness of over 90%, can be stored for six months only at temperatures below -70°C, with a maximum storage period of just five days under ordinary refrigeration conditions. On this basis, some observers have argued that it is not a realistic prospect for distribution in South Korea.

But Pfizer also leads in terms of production volume. The company has said it is capable of producing as many as 50 million doses (enough for 25 million people) within the year, and as many as 1.3 billion next year. In contrast, Moderna plans to produce 20 million doses this year and 500 million to one billion next year. In terms of side effects observed during Phase 3 clinical testing, Pfizer reported no serious safety issues, while Moderna reported such side effects as pain around the injection site (2.7%), fatigue following the second administration (9.7%), muscle pain (9%), and headache/complex pain (5%). In the future, the British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and the US company Johnson & Johnson plan to follow the two companies in announcing Phase 3 clinical findings and applying for emergency use authorization with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and various regional regulatory authorities.

Both disease control authorities and experts stressed on Nov. 17 that the vaccines do not mean an immediate end to COVID-19. Jung Jae-hun, a professor of preventive medicine at the Gachon University medical college, said, “While it’s true that the interim Phase 3 findings have exceeded expectations, we’ll need to wait another 10 months or so before the vaccine is actually distributed and administered.”

“We’re just about halfway through the tunnel right now,” he stressed, adding that there “could end up being more patients and deaths if we relax our disease control posture because of the vaccine development.”

The KDCA similarly said that vaccines and treatments “are meant to supplement everyday life quarantine practices, not serve as an immediate substitute.”

“We need to be cautious not to become careless and injure ourselves on the way downhill,” it urged.

By Choi Ha-yan and Choi Hyun-june, staff reporters

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