South Korean President, wife inoculated with AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and First Lady Kim Jung-sook were inoculated against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) with the AstraZeneca vaccine on Tuesday.

Moon, 68, received the vaccine shot ahead of schedule for his age group to attend the G7 summit in June.

The president's vaccination was broadcast by local TV channels.

Earlier, an independent panel of experts in South Korea recommended to continue the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, as it found no correlation between vaccinations and blood clots, and the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the harm from possible side effects.

The use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in South Korea is approved for all people aged above 18, including the elderly. Initially, it was given to medical professionals and patients aged 18-65 in hospitals for the care of the elderly. Now about 376,000 more patients over 65 will be vaccinated. The general population 65-74 years old will receive the AstraZeneca vaccine from June. Citizens over 75 will receive the Pfizer vaccine in April.