Over half of troops under 30 receive first doses of Pfizer's vaccine

Published : Jun 16, 2021 - 11:44 Updated : Jun 16, 2021 - 11:44

Soldiers undergo COVID-19 vaccinations at the ROK Marine Corps Command last Monday, when vaccinations for soldiers aged under 30 began, in this photo provided by the defense ministry. (Defense Ministry)

Over half of the service members aged under 30 have been administered with their first doses of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine since the vaccination campaign for younger soldiers began last week, the defense ministry said Wednesday.

A total of 223,614 troops in their 20s, or 54 percent of the age group, had received their first doses as of Tuesday, according to the ministry.

Soldiers aged 30 and older were given AstraZeneca's vaccine, with about 88 percent, or 116,900 members agreeing to take their first shots.

Nationwide, a quarter of South Korea's 51.3 million population have received at least one jab of coronavirus vaccines since the country started its vaccination campaign in late February.

The country reported 545 more virus cases Wednesday, bringing the total caseload to 149,191.

The military reported no additional infections on the day. The total number of virus cases reported among the military population stood at 1,002. (Yonhap)