"Low Risk of Death from Flu Vaccine Side Effects... Delaying Vaccination May Cause More Deaths"

On the 20th, citizens are receiving flu vaccinations at the Korea Health Management Association Seoul Western Branch in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, where the free influenza (flu) vaccination program is being conducted. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] As anxiety surrounding vaccine inoculation grows following the death of a high school student two days after receiving a flu vaccine, experts have assessed that the likelihood of death due to vaccine side effects is low.

On the 20th, Professor Eom Jung-sik of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Gachon University Gil Medical Center stated in an interview with MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' that "It is not yet at a stage where we can say death and the flu vaccine are 100% unrelated, so we need to wait for the autopsy results," but added, "The flu vaccine is an inactivated vaccine, meaning it is made from a killed virus rather than a live one, so inactivated vaccines rarely cause severe adverse reactions such as death."

Professor Eom said, "Every year, more than 15 to 20 million people receive the flu vaccine, and there have been almost no proven cases of very serious adverse reactions," and estimated, "Although we need to see the autopsy results, the possibility of death caused by side effects from the flu vaccine is very low."

Earlier that day, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced that the deceased high school student received a free vaccination at a private medical institution in the Incheon area on the 14th and died on the morning of the 16th, two days later. The KDCA explained that it is difficult to conclude that the cause of death was due to the vaccine inoculation and that the cause will be determined through an autopsy.

Regarding this, Professor Eom said, "There could be very exceptional circumstances, so it is not comfortable to discuss causality prematurely," and added, "Since it could also cause distress to the deceased and their family, it would be best to confirm and judge after the autopsy results."

On the possibility of vaccine deterioration, he said, "Even if deterioration occurs, the likelihood of severe adverse reactions such as death is not very high," and explained, "Most substances in the vaccine are either antigen proteins or preservatives, and since they are mostly in small amounts, cases where a small amount of these substances leads to death are extremely rare."

He also pointed out, "According to the KDCA, there was one case in 2009 where a person died after receiving the flu vaccine due to neurological abnormalities," adding, "In that case, it was not a sudden death but rather a progression of neurological disease symptoms that worsened over a certain period."

Furthermore, Professor Eom stated that there is no reason to delay vaccination due to this death case. He warned, "The possibility that this case is unrelated to the vaccine is much higher, so under the current circumstances, there is absolutely no reason to stop or postpone vaccination," and cautioned, "When influenza circulates during the winter season, especially when COVID-19 is also prevalent, there could be significantly more deaths."

Regarding the fact that the deceased high school student had allergic rhinitis, he said, "Among those with allergic rhinitis, there is a high possibility of accompanying asthma or allergic diseases, so they are actually a group that should be vaccinated diligently," and emphasized, "Under the current circumstances, it is necessary to continue maintaining flu vaccination."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.