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| President Moon Jae-in, left / Yonhap |
President Moon Jae-in may take a COVID-19 vaccine, probably made by AstraZeneca, in the near future, his office said Thursday.
A specific schedule for a possible vaccination would be decided considering a related manual of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) and the diplomatic calendar, Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok told reporters.
He cited the possibility that Britain will host an in-person Group of Seven (G-7) summit in June. Moon has been invited to the session.
Health authorities have a priority list for the people to benefit from the free-of-charge vaccination program that got under way here last week. But there is an exception if urgent foreign travel is required, Kang pointed out.
A Cheong Wa Dae official later reaffirmed that Moon, 68, plans to "willingly" take AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine shot, as Pfizer-produced ones are now available for medical workers. The official was speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Public concern lingers over the effectiveness and safety of AstraZeneca vaccines, especially when used for the elderly.
There is no right for ordinary people here to choose a brand of vaccine to take and the president would also follow the rule, according to the official.
In case of the AstraZeneca vaccine, two shots are necessary with an eight-week interval. It means that Moon is likely to get his first dose before the end of this month.
Asked about the exact time and place for the vaccination, the official said, "There is no discussion yet on the issue. Once decided, we will immediately make it public."
It is the government's principle to proceed with the matter of the president being vaccinated "with transparency," he added. (Yonhap)
