South Korea has said 18,489 people received their first doses of AstraZeneca PLC's vaccine by midnight on Friday as it launched an ambitious Covid-19 inoculation campaign, and will begin using Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines today.

According to Reuters, the first to receive the shots are healthcare workers, staffers at assisted care facilities and other high-risk people, with a goal of vaccinating 32 million to 36m people — some 60 to 70 per cent of the population —by September.

The government hopes to reach herd immunity, defined as at least a 70pc vaccine take-up, by November, as health authorities remain on alert for signs of sporadic infections.

A nursing home worker (L) receives the first dose of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine at a health care centre in Seoul on Friday. — Reuters
A nursing home worker (L) receives the first dose of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine at a health care centre in Seoul on Friday. — Reuters

Opinion

Editorial

Holding the line
16 Mar, 2026

Holding the line

PAKISTAN’S long battle against polio has recently produced encouraging signs. Data from the national eradication...
Power self-reliance
Updated 16 Mar, 2026

Power self-reliance

PAKISTAN’S transition to domestic sources of electricity is a welcome development for a country that has long been...
Looking for safety
16 Mar, 2026

Looking for safety

AS the Middle East conflict enters its third week, the war’s most enduring victims are not those who wage it....
Battling hate
Updated 15 Mar, 2026

Battling hate

In the current scenario, geopolitical conflict, racial prejudice and religious bigotry all contribute to the threats Muslims face.
TB drugs shortage
15 Mar, 2026

TB drugs shortage

‘CRIMINAL negligence’ is the phrase that jumps to mind when one considers the disturbing consequences of the...
Chinese diplomacy
Updated 14 Mar, 2026

Chinese diplomacy

THERE are signs that China is taking a more active role in trying to resolve the issue of cross-border terrorism...