Uber Ordered to Pay $8.5 Million in Bellwether Sexual Assault Lawsuit 
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal 
Trump Signs Executive Order Threatening 25% Tariffs on Countries Trading With Iran 
RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal 
U.S. Stock Futures Slide as Tech Rout Deepens on Amazon Capex Shock 
Missouri Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging Starbucks’ Diversity and Inclusion Policies 
Tencent Shares Slide After WeChat Restricts YuanBao AI Promotional Links 
Oil Prices Slide on US-Iran Talks, Dollar Strength and Profit-Taking Pressure 
Asian Stocks Slip as Tech Rout Deepens, Japan Steadies Ahead of Election 
CK Hutchison Launches Arbitration After Panama Court Revokes Canal Port Licences 
Gold Prices Slide Below $5,000 as Strong Dollar and Central Bank Outlook Weigh on Metals 
Alphabet’s Massive AI Spending Surge Signals Confidence in Google’s Growth Engine 
Australia’s December Trade Surplus Expands but Falls Short of Expectations 
SoftBank Shares Slide After Arm Earnings Miss Fuels Tech Stock Sell-Off 
U.S. Stock Futures Edge Higher as Tech Rout Deepens on AI Concerns and Earnings 
Rio Tinto Shares Hit Record High After Ending Glencore Merger Talks 
AMD Shares Slide Despite Earnings Beat as Cautious Revenue Outlook Weighs on Stock 
LG, Samsung, Hyundai, three of the leading companies in South Korea, just ditched the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine as it is taking time for them to arrive. The firms originally announced that their employees are set to be inoculated with the Massachusetts-based biotechnology company’s vaccine, but as it has been difficult to procure enough vials, it was replaced.
Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to replace Moderna
As per The Korea Times, S. Korea is actually struggling to obtain a sufficient supply of the Moderna shots. Because of this, the government made the decision to just change the brand of COVID-19 vaccines to Pfizer. These will be used for workers employed in big manufacturing companies, including Hyundai Motor, LG Group, and Samsung.
With the change of plans, it was reported that officials of large firms were notified by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) about the replacement of Moderna vaccines for their employees. On Tuesday, July 20, companies said they were informed that Pfizer shots will instead be delivered to them.
It was only last month when the S. Korean government shared that it will be alloting Moderna vaccines to individuals working in the country’s leading business fields such as automotive, technology, and semiconductor. The officials are somehow prioritizing them due to concerns that the national economy will be gravely affected if the coronavirus spreads in these businesses.
"The Moderna vaccine supply, scheduled for the third week of July, has been postponed to the last week of July, due to quality inspections and delivery issues," KDCA director Jeong Eun Kyeong said in a statement on Tuesday. "We plan to discuss with the Ministry of Employment and Labor and companies to confirm the shift to the Pfizer vaccine."
Reason for the change of vaccine brand
It was mentioned earlier that the government has been having a hard time securing the Moderna vaccines, so the officials changed it to Pfizer. In related news, Yonhap News Agency stated that companies including LG and Samsung are replacing the shot because Moderna’s arrival schedule has been delayed.
It was added that the employees of the said firms are set to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine starting on July 27. "Our vaccination program will go on as scheduled but with a change of vaccine," an official from Samsung said.
