Vaccinations may start next month in Jeju at the earliest.
Doctors, nurses, quarantine workers and employees at nursing homes would be among the first to receive the vaccines.
However, until the plan is rolled out, prevention of further infection in local communities remains the top priority.
Todd Thacker reports.



In his New Year’s address, President Moon Jae-in announced that every citizen will be eligible for vaccination beginning next month, in an effort to achieve herd immunity.

Recording
President Moon Jae-in
COVID-19 vaccines will be imported gradually to take into consideration their distribution periods. The first round of inoculations is scheduled for February through September this year.
<씽크:대통령 신년 기자회견>
백신의 유통기간도 있기 때문에 분기별로 순차적으로 도입해서 2월부터 시작해서 9월까지는 접종이 필요한 국민들의 1차 접종까지는 다 마칠 계획이고..

Jeju province is no exception.

A provincial official said in a telephone interview that once Seoul acquires the COVID-19 vaccine, Jeju's vaccination program may start by the end of February.
About 20,000 islanders, including doctors, nurses, quarantine workers and employees at residential facilities such as nursing homes, will be the first to be inoculated.


Now, the most important assignment for authorities is to effectively prevent further infections prior to the mass vaccination program.

The number of infections hit a daily high of 20 in the last week of December, though that number has since tapered off.


However, COVID-19 outbreaks are now more sporadic and investigating chains of transmission has become more complex.

In the run up to the vaccination program on Jeju Island, officials will be working hard to enforce strict social distancing and detailed quarantine measures to ensure the safety of every islander.

Todd Thacker, KCTV