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| ▲ Jeong Eun-kyeong, head of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, gives a briefing on her agency's comprehensive plan to vaccinate the whole nation at the agency in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, on Jan. 28, 2021. According to the scheme, front-line medical workers will be the first to get vaccinations next month, with AstraZeneca Plc.'s vaccines provided under the World Health Organization's global vaccine COVAX Facility project to be used. (Yonhap) |
military-vaccines
Military-led task force to support vaccine rollout
SEOUL, Jan. 28 (Yonhap) -- A military-led task force set up to support the distribution of coronavirus vaccines across the country will go into full operation as vaccines arrive starting next month, its chief said Thursday.
The task force has been formed with 41 members, including 34 military officers and seven officials from related ministries, to provide logistical support in vaccine distribution. Heading the team is the Army's Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Park Ju-Kyeong.
Private shippers will be hired to distribute vaccines that must be kept in extremely cold temperatures, and the task force will be in charge of overseeing the overall distribution process and responding to any emergency situations, the official said.
"We will not only manage the overall situation regarding vaccine distribution and respond to various emergencies, but we will also carry out various other missions, such as providing military assets ... for vaccine distribution," Park said.
The defense ministry said the main tasks of the team will include escorting the vaccines from the airport to inoculation centers and dealing with contingencies. They will have around 500 additional service members ready to be dispatched upon request from the team.
Under the government plan, front-line medical workers in the greater Seoul area will get the first COVID-19 vaccinations in the country starting in February, with the general public to be inoculated in the latter half of the year.
Medical officers are also likely to be the first group among the military to be inoculated, according to Defense Minister Suh Wook.
"We are working on a vaccination plan for the service members," he said.
South Korea reported 497 new virus cases on Thursday, raising the total caseload to 76,926.
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