Military to wrap up first dose vaccinations of troops over age 30 this week

The military is expected to complete the administration of the first doses of COVID-19 vaccinations to service members aged 30 and older this week, officials said Friday.

As of Thursday, 97.5 percent of around 114,000 troops, who are eligible for the inoculation program and agreed to take it, have received their first jabs of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, according to the defense ministry.

"We are working to wrap up this round of the vaccination program this week, though there could be some adjustments. The campaign is now under way smoothly," a ministry official said.

Troops in their 20s are supposed to begin receiving vaccines in June, and the ministry continues consultations with health authorities to advance the schedule, according to the official.

On Friday, the military reported two new virus cases -- a Marine officer and a soldier. The latest cases brought the total number of infections reported among the military population to 852.

Nationwide, South Korea reported 747 more COVID-19 cases, including 729 local infections, raising the total caseload to 130,380, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. (Yonhap)