First home-made Covid-19 vaccination approved in South Korea
Key Takeaways:
- To combat a lengthy pandemic, South Korean health officials approved the country's first domestically developed COVID-19 immunization for persons 18 years of age and older.
- Not the highly contagious omicron variant that wreaked havoc across the country earlier this year, but the original coronavirus was the target of the immunizations.
- The cornerstone of South Korea's extensive immunization program has been the mRNA vaccines created by Pfizer and Moderna.
On Wednesday, South Korean health officials approved the nation's first domestically developed COVID-19 vaccination for those 18 years of age and older to combat a protracted pandemic.
SK Bioscience's two-dose SKYCovione vaccination looked more effective than the widely used AstraZeneca shots in clinical trials involving almost 4,000 people in South Korea and five other countries, according to officials at the South Korean Food and Drug Safety Ministry.
It's unknown how authorities will administer the newly created vaccine or how much impact the shots will have on the pandemic's future spread. The vaccinations were made to treat the original coronavirus, not the highly contagious omicron variety that caused havoc in the nation earlier this year. Omicron booster doses are being developed more quickly by American vaccine juggernauts Pfizer and Moderna, but researchers warn that the virus may reevolve shortly.
The mRNA vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna have formed the mainstay of South Korea's widespread immunization program. However, authorities assert that protein vaccinations like SKYCovione, comparable to shots used for years to prevent the common flu and hepatitis B, could appeal to individuals who are wary of using vaccines created with more modern technologies.
Food and Drug Safety Minister Oh Yu-kyoung stated at a briefing that "the approval (of SKYCovione) worldwide confirms the abilities of our industry to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines." According to her, SK Bioscience requests that the WHO approve their shots, which might lead to export opportunities.
After fighting an omicron surge earlier this year, South Korea has loosened most of its virus restrictions. However, some experts believe that despite having a high vaccination rate, the country may still experience an increase in infections due to waning immunity and the potential emergence of novel variants.
On Wednesday, the nation reported 10,463 new cases of the coronavirus, the first daily increase of more than 10,000 in 20 days. During a separate briefing, Son Youngrae, an official with the Health Ministry, stated that it is still too early to determine whether the nation is experiencing a surge following a months-long decreasing trend.