SEOUL – United States biotech company Moderna has agreed to supply new coronavirus vaccine doses for 20 million people to South Korea starting in the second quarter of next year, the presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae announced today.
The agreement was reached in a videoconference between President Moon Jae-in and Moderna chief executive officer Stephane Bancel held yesterday, Yonhap News Agency reported according to the South Korean presidential office.
The volume is double the amount that the government had initially sought to secure from the American biotech firm through negotiations. The time frame of provision has also been sped up from the initial goal of receiving vaccines starting from the third quarter.
Moon told Bancel that he would like to sign an official deal within the year.
Bancel, according to Cheong Wa Dae, responded by saying a swift deal closure within the year is possible and also promised that the company will do its best to facilitate early vaccine provision.
In total, South Korea will have secured vaccine doses for 56 million people if the Moderna deal is sealed, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok.
Moon and Bancel also agreed to forge a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in research and development between Moderna and South Korea's state institute on infectious diseases.
The two also agreed to cooperate in the area of consignment production of Moderna vaccines by South Korean firms. – Bernama, December 29, 2020
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