Lee Nak-yeon: "Flu vaccine proven to have saved countless lives... Must be cautious"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Wondara and Jeon Jinyoung] Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, expressed a cautious stance on the suspension of influenza (flu) vaccinations, stating that "the political sphere must be careful when dealing with issues that fall within the realm of experts."

At the Democratic Party's Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the morning of the 23rd, Lee said, "It is scientifically proven that preventive vaccines have saved countless lives that could have been lost to the flu."

He added, "However, it is also important to alleviate the public's anxiety," and emphasized, "The government should promptly clarify the causes of death among vaccine recipients and any abnormalities in the vaccine products to dispel public doubts. Any information that can be shared with the public during this process must be disclosed transparently."

He continued, "Although experts, including the Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, say that the causal relationship between deaths and the vaccine is unclear, public anxiety has not been resolved. The Medical Association has recommended postponing vaccinations by one week," and urged, "I hope the government actively considers measures to reduce public anxiety until clear investigation results are available."

After visiting GC Green Cross, a company developing COVID-19 treatments, the previous day, Lee told reporters, "Since the facts have not yet been revealed, we need to be cautious." When asked if there were any party-government discussions regarding flu vaccine measures, he replied, "Not yet," and added, "We need to ascertain the facts first."

Meanwhile, as of midnight on the same day, the number of deaths following vaccination nationwide was confirmed to have reached 32 since the first death on the 16th. This is an increase of 20 from the 12 reported as of midnight the previous day. Jeong Eun-kyung, Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, appeared at the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee's audit the previous day and said, "We are closely examining whether there is any issue that warrants suspending vaccinations, and if there is, we will promptly halt them." She reiterated, "We are closely examining whether there is any issue that warrants suspending vaccinations, and if there is, we will promptly halt them."

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