S Korea President Moon Jae-in gets COVID-19 jab ahead of G-7 summit

SEOUL: South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday got the first jab of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine in order to attend the G-7 summit in the UK.

He received the shot at the Jongno-gu public health center near the presidential compound in Seoul, along with first lady Kim Jung-sook and nine Cheong Wa Dae officials who would accompany them on a trip to Britain in June, reported Yonhap News Agency.

The G-7 session is scheduled to take place in the seaside resort of Carbis Bay in Cornwall from June 11-13. The Group of Seven (G7) is an intergovernmental organisation consisting of developed countries viz; Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

South Korea began the AstraZeneca vaccination program for those aged 65 and older on Tuesday following a delay attributable to concerns about its safety.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has 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, reported Yonhap News Agency.

The AstraZeneca vaccine requires two shots with an interval of eight to 12 weeks.