gettyimagesbank

Nearly 72 percent of Koreans aged 65 or older are expected to receive the latest COVID-19 vaccine shots, according to an official.

In response to a recent inquiry by The Korea Times about the government's vaccination plan, an official at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said 71.9 percent of individuals aged 65 or older are expected to receive the updated COVID-19 vaccines once they become available, due to a surge in new cases primarily driven by the KP.3 variant.

New vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax are currently under review for approval by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the official added.

The disease agency plans to purchase 7.55 million doses of the vaccines for the latest COVID wave. He explained that the amount of vaccines needed was determined based on a July 2023 poll and the number of high-risk individuals.

The official said the agency aims to vaccinate over 50 percent of the 12,670,000 individuals, including the elderly and workers in medical and other high-risk facilities, when the free vaccination program starts in October.

New COVID cases have surged sharply in recent weeks. The agency's data shows the number of COVID patients admitted to 220 designated hospitals across the nation reached 1,464 in the third week of August from 226 in the third week of July ― the highest level since the government transitioned to an endemic approach in May.

Officials believe the number will likely continue to rise in the coming weeks as students and many workers return to their regular duties after the summer break, which typically spans from mid-July to late August.