Medical workers prepare Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital in central Seoul on Feb. 27, 2021. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 29 (Korea Bizwire) — As the development of the so-called low dead space (LDS) syringes increased the maximum number of shots a vial of Pfizer Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine can provide to seven from six, South Korean medical institutions are mired in disputes over who is eligible for the remaining vaccine doses.
The Seoul National University Boramae Hospital vaccinated its COVID-19 medical staff with 268 bottles of Pfizer vaccine. It used the remainder to vaccinate emergency transport staff, sanitation workers and assistant nurses.
However, after it became known that some of the remaining vaccine was used to vaccinate office workers, some in and outside of the hospital raised doubt over why non-COVID-19 staff had been vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine.
Even the medical workers who were vaccinated with the AstraZeneca Plc.’s vaccine raised complaints about the vaccination of office workers with the Pfizer vaccine.
“All of the staff at the core of virus response were vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine. Among our office workers, only those who were likely to enter into direct contact with COVID-19 patients were vaccinated with the remaining Pfizer doses,” a hospital official said.
At present, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency recommends higher than hospital-level medical institutions to vaccinate front line medical staff and workers in COVID-19 wards with the Pfizer vaccine and the remaining medical staff and workers with the AstraZeneca vaccine.
However, there are no specific guidelines on the assessment of eligibility for the remaining Pfizer vaccines, bringing about confusion in the hospitals.
Previously, the Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital also faced criticism since Kim Yong-sik, the head of the hospital, was vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine.
Posted on an online petition site run by the presidential was a complaint that claimed that the head of the hospital and its head nurse cut in line to be vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine.
The hospital refuted the comment, saying that when the list of vaccinations was submitted in early March, Kim was not eligible for the AstraZeneca vaccine since he was more than 65 years old.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
