Uiwang City to Begin COVID-19 Vaccination Starting March 2

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Uiwang City will begin COVID-19 vaccination starting March 2.

The city is classifying vaccination targets into three phases according to priority and plans to complete vaccination for approximately 96,000 citizens, or 70% of residents aged 18 and older, by October, before the influenza season begins.

Phase 1, first dose vaccination, will take place in March and targets 2,000 people (3% of total eligible recipients), including hospitalized patients and staff aged under 65 at nursing hospitals and long-term care facilities for the elderly. Second dose vaccination will take place from April to May, with nursing hospitals staffed by doctors administering vaccines directly through direct vaccine supply. At care facilities, vaccination will be administered by health center visiting teams composed of doctors and nurses or by doctors at each facility.

Phase 2 vaccination targets 23,000 elderly people aged 65 and older (23.9% of total eligible recipients), with vaccination to be administered from April to June. Phase 3 vaccination targets 70,000 people (73.1% of total eligible recipients). Vaccination will be administered sequentially, starting with adults aged 50-64, patients with chronic diseases such as hypertension, military personnel, police officers, firefighters, workers at social infrastructure and education/childcare facilities, and then other citizens.

The city is establishing a regional coordination body and preparing to ensure safe and convenient vaccination for citizens by establishing vaccination centers, designated medical institutions, visiting vaccination services, and response systems for adverse reactions.

Mayor Kim Sang-don of Uiwang City stated, "I ask for active cooperation from citizens and related organizations so that vaccination can proceed without disruption," and added, "I urge you to be vigilant for the formation of collective immunity and to strictly adhere to personal quarantine guidelines."