Different COVID-19 vaccine products will be assigned to different facilities in South Korea.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) on Thursday, mRNA-based vaccines such as those developed by Pfizer and Moderna will be given only at pre-designated inoculation centers due to technical challenges concerning cold-storage equipment management. 

Pfizer vaccines need to be stored at minus 70 degrees Celsius and Moderna vaccines at minus 20 degrees. 

Other vaccines that do not need cold-storage facilities such as AstraZeneca and Janssen products will be administered at hospitals and clinics. 

Under the plan, the government will open 250 designated inoculation centers across the nation by July for Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

Four such centers will open their doors next month, including one at the National Medical Center in Seoul. 

Of 20-thousand hospitals and clinics that participated in previous national vaccine programs, about half will be selected to administer vaccines according to their ability to respond to emergencies and manage virus-free conditions, among other criteria. 

For those who can't travel for vaccinations such as the elderly in nursing homes and those with severe disabilities, the government will send teams of medical experts and administrative staff.