SEOUL– About 80 percent of service members aged under 30 have received their first doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine since the vaccination campaign for younger soldiers began earlier this month, the defense ministry said Tuesday.
A total of 332,384 troops in their 20s, or 80 percent of the age group, had received their first doses as of Monday, according to the ministry.
Soldiers aged 30 and older were given AstraZeneca’s vaccine, with 88 percent, or 116,900 members, agreeing to take their first shots.
According to the ministry, fully vaccinated military members — for whom more than two weeks have passed since receiving their required COVID-19 jabs — are now subject to eased social distancing rules in line with similar guidelines for ordinary citizens rolled out by the health authorities.
Under the eased rules, fully vaccinated troops will no longer have to undergo a two-week isolation period upon their return from vacation.
From next month, they will also be exempted from the mandatory policy of mask wearing at sports facilities, as well as from the rule that limits the number of participants in private gatherings.
The ministry earlier said the military will begin providing the second AstraZeneca shots to troops over 30 from around July.
On Tuesday, the ministry said an Army officer based in Icheon, 80 kilometers southeast of Seoul, was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after receiving the first vaccine jab, raising the total number of infections reported among the military population to 1,009.
Around 240 people who had contact with the soldier have tested negative so far.
Nationwide, South Korea added 395 new infections Tuesday, bringing the total caseload to 151,901.
Source: Yonhap News Agency