On Friday, South Korea launched a mass immunization campaign, administering the first shots of Coronavirus vaccines to people at long-term care facilities. The health authorities hope to restore some level of normalcy by the end of 2021.
A nursing home worker, Lee Gyeong Soon, who received her first shot at a public health center in Northern Seol said she felt very anxious over the past year but now feels secure after receiving the vaccine. Health Authorities has set a goal to inject the first two doses to 344,000 residents and workers and 55,000 frontline medical workers by the end of March.
Health Ministry official Son Young-Rae said, "We have taken the historic first step toward restoring normalcy." Social distancing levels have been expanded up to the next weeks, to help create a safe environment for vaccinations. Doctors, nurses, and other health professionals treating COVID-19 patients will begin receiving shots developed by Pfizer and BioNTech from Saturday.
General hospitals, paramedics, quarantine workers are likely to receive the next available vaccines. The Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines, which South Korea obtained through the WHO-backed COVAX program, arrived at Incheon International Airport on Friday and will be transported to five major COVID-19 treatment hospitals.
