SEOUL, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Tuesday that it started an initial COVID-19 vaccination for healthcare workers, first responders and its command team.
The USFK said in a statement that it began inoculating military and civilian healthcare workers, first responders and the USFK command team with the Moderna vaccine across three USFK medical treatment facilities.
The three facilities are the Brian D. Allgood Army Community Hospital at the U.S. Army Garrison in Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, around 70 km south of Seoul; the 51st Medical Group at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek; and the 8th Medical Group at Kunsan Air Base, located in the country's southwestern city of Kunsan.
The USFK was identified as one of four overseas locations to receive the Moderna vaccine, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized under an emergency use authorization (EUA) on Dec. 18.
Under the EUA, the vaccine is voluntary and not mandatory for about 28,500 U.S. soldiers stationed in South Korea.
The first shipment of the Moderna vaccines arrived here on Dec. 25, and had been in cold storage at Camp Carroll in the southeastern county of Chilgok before being delivered to the three medical treatment facilities.
Following the initial inoculations, additional vaccine shipments will arrive as other FDA-authorized vaccines are produced and shipped to the USFK, according to the statement.
As of Monday, seven more U.S. soldiers and three civilians in South Korea tested positive for COVID-19, raising the total number of USFK-related infections to 480. Enditem
