A Chase Between Vaccination And The Spread Of New Variants Of COVID-19 In South Korea

Photo illustration (Gear5.8 by Roberto R / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - A new variant of COVID-19 which is also called VUI-202012/01 was discovered in the UK. It is said that the virus is up to 70 percent more contagious, which means it is faster than variants previously known to the world. The South Korean (South Korean) authorities announced the findings. They have also accelerated regulation of the use of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The findings of a new variant of COVID-19 in South Korea were announced by the South Korean Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The virus entered South Korea through three people who arrived in South Korea. The three men had previously flown from London on December 22.

Quoting Reuters, Monday, December 28, after the new variant was discovered, South Korean officials promised to accelerate efforts to launch a COVID-19 vaccination program. Overall, KDCA reported 808 new cases on Sunday, December 27, the lowest since a record 1,241 cases in a day was recorded on Friday, December 25.

But authorities warned the decline could be due to less testing being carried out over the weekend and the Christmas holidays. Authorities said they would extend social distancing measures until early January.

The Food and Drug Safety Ministry said regulators would shorten the period required to approve vaccines and treatments from an average of 180 days to just 40 days. The additional approval process for vaccine distribution and sale, which normally takes several months, will be shortened to around 20 days.

Medical workers and elderly residents will start receiving vaccinations in February. Plans to vaccinate the wider community are accelerating, said presidential chief of staff Noh Young-min. "The government is doing all it can to advance this time frame and also make progress," he said.

South Korea says it plans to buy enough vaccine doses to vaccinate 46 million people, or more than 85 percent of its population. Noh said authorities expect the South Korean population to reach herd immunity levels through vaccines as soon as possible or sooner than many other countries.

The South Korean government is facing increasing domestic criticism over procurement and plans to launch a vaccine, which previously called for its first vaccinations in the first quarter of next year. The time is several months after other countries such as the United States (US) and the European Union.

The negative outlook of the vaccine plan is one of the main reasons that pushed South Korean President Moon Jae-in's dissatisfaction rating to an all-time high of nearly 60 percent. The poll was conducted by Realmeter.