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North Korea has been vaccinating against the novel coronavirus since the end of August, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned from a Chinese-North Korean trade official with close ties to Pyongyang bureaucrats.
Until then, the country reportedly believed only U.S.-made vaccines were trustworthy and thus refused Chinese vaccines allocated through the COVAX program, an international framework to facilitate access to COVID-19 tests and vaccines.
However, this policy changed in spring, following a renewed spread of infections. Pyongyang is currently preparing for another wave of COVID-19, in addition to the normalization of trade and the resumption of travel.
Vaccinations are now being administered in Pyongyang and the country’s border region, including Sinuiju, used as a trading hub with China, and Nampo, a port city that deals with international cargo.
