President Moon Jae-in received his first dose of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, as he plans to attend a Group of Seven (G-7) summit to be held in Britain.
He received the shot at the Jongno-gu public health centre near the presidential compound in Seoul, along with first lady Kim Jung-sook and nine Cheong Wa Dae officials to accompany them on a trip to Britain in June.
The G-7 session is scheduled to take place in the seaside resort of Carbis Bay in Cornwall from June 11 to 13.
Moon arrived at the facility at 9 a.m. and soon got his temperature, identity and health conditions checked.
“Since you are good at giving a shot, it does not hurt at all,” Moon said, while receiving it.
South Korea began the AstraZeneca vaccination programme for those aged 65 and older on Tuesday following a delay attributable to concerns about its safety.
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Local health authorities stated the previous day that they had found no evidence suggesting a correlation between the vaccine and reports of blood clots.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) have drawn up a priority list of vaccine takers.
It allowed an exception for Moon, 68; the 66-year-old first lady; and the Cheong Wa Dae officials, including Suh Hoon, director of national security, for the early inoculation in consideration of diplomacy-related urgency.
The AstraZeneca vaccine required two shots with an interval of eight to 12 weeks.
The KDCA set the health centre as the venue for the president’s vaccination.