· UK and the Republic of Korea will share over 1 million COVID-19
vaccine doses with each other to enhance rollout of life-saving
jabs
· First shipment of Pfizer vaccine due to the leave the UK in the
coming weeks
· Follows similar vaccine swap initiative with Australia
The UK and the Republic of Korea will share COVID-19 vaccine
doses to mutually support the rollout of the lifesaving vaccine
in each nation, the government has announced today (Wednesday 22
September).
The UK is sending over 1 million Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines to the
Republic of Korea to enhance their vaccination programme, with
the first batch expected to arrive in the coming weeks.
By the end of 2021, the Republic of Korea will return the same
volume of doses to the UK, as the government continues with its
vaccine rollout and the booster programme over the winter months.
The swapping initiative will also help the Republic of Korea
towards hitting its target of administering a second dose to 70%
of its population by the end of October.
Similar to the Australia vaccine swap arrangement announced
earlier
this month, this new collaboration means the Pfizer/BioNTech
doses – which are not immediately required in the UK due to
robust supply management – are used to support vaccination
through the health partnership we have with the Republic of
Korea.
Almost 90% of over 16s in the UK have received both doses of the
COVID-19 vaccine and there will be no impact on the UK’s ongoing
COVID-19 vaccine rollout or booster programmes as a result of the
dose sharing initiative. It will also have no impact on the doses
the UK has already pledged to give to COVAX.
Health and Social Care Secretary,
said:
“By working closely with our friends in South Korea, this vaccine
swap will maximise their rollout speed without having an impact
on the UK’s vaccine programme.
“Separately, we continue to deliver on our commitment to donate
100 million doses to nations around the world by June 2022 to
ensure as many people across the world are as safe from COVID-19
as possible.”
Today’s announcement follows the UK donating 10.3 million
COVID-19 vaccines to other nations – including 6.2 million to
vulnerable nations through COVAX - exceeding the target of 5
million by September.
The COVAX doses were a share of the 100 million vaccines the
Prime Minister pledged the UK would share over the following year
at June’s G7 in Cornwall, with 30 million due to be sent by the
end of the year.
Foreign Secretary,
said:
“The UK is playing a leading role in the global response to the
Covid-19 pandemic - donating 100 million vaccine doses across the
world and have committed £548m to COVAX.
“The Republic of Korea is a strategic partner for the UK and the
sharing of one million vaccines benefits both countries as we
help build resistance against COVID-19 and save lives.”
In July, the UK delivered 3 million vaccines through COVAX to 11
African countries, which were also part of the 100 million
package of doses announced in June - Angola, Democratic Republic
of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria,
Senegal, Uganda and Zambia – and four million directly to
countries in need including Antigua and Barbuda, Belize,
Cambodia, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya,
Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, Thailand and Vietnam.
Notes to editors:
- A total of 1,000,350 Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines will be shipped
to the Republic of Korea.
- The doses going to the Republic of Korea are not part of the
commitment to send 100m vaccines overseas.
- To date the UK has donated 10.3 million COVID-19 vaccines to
other nations – 6.2 million doses have been donated through
COVAX, with the remaining doses donated bilaterally to countries
in need.
- The UK has led the international response to COVID-19,
including through kick-starting efforts to establish COVAX in
2020 and providing £548 million to fund vaccines for lower income
countries through the scheme. It has so far delivered more than
215 million vaccine doses to over 138 countries and territories,
including in 84 lower-middle income countries. COVAX aims to
deliver 1.8 billion vaccines to lower-income countries by early
2022.
