Slow Vaccine Procurement, Why... Fear of Responsibility for Safety and Side Effects

Allergic Reactions in UK and US... Biden to Get Vaccinated Next Week

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Seo So-jeong and Lee Hyun-woo] The number of newly confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) confirmed on the 17th was 1,014, marking over 1,000 cases for two consecutive days. In particular, the daily confirmed cases in Seoul, a densely populated city, reached 423, the highest ever, and the number of deaths exceeded 20 for the first time, reaching 22. While the unstoppable spread has increased the need for vaccine introduction, concerns are arising as our government's vaccine procurement lags behind major advanced countries such as the UK and the US. Experts view that the government's failure to actively pre-purchase vaccines reflects the unique mentality of government officials who fear post-responsibility.

Why Hesitate on Bold Pre-Purchase?
Concerns Echoing the 2010 Novel Flu Case

Professor Jeon Byung-yul of the Graduate School of Medicine at CHA University said in a phone interview with Asia Economy, "The most certain way to curb the spread of COVID-19 is vaccination," adding, "The government’s failure to make bold pre-purchases is due to fear of responsibility if safety concerns arise later or if demand forecasts fail."

Professor Jeon referred to the case of the 2009 novel influenza (novel flu) outbreak. The novel flu that occurred in 2009 spread to more than 214 countries, and from April 2009 until the pandemic ended in August 2010, there were 18,500 deaths worldwide. The government moved to introduce vaccines to respond to the novel flu, but since the number of vaccinated people fell short of initial predictions, a large amount of vaccines had to be discarded due to expiration.

In August of the same year, National Assembly member Yoon Seok-yong of the Health and Welfare Committee disclosed data submitted by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stating, "By 2011, 7 million doses of novel flu vaccines will be discarded, resulting in a financial loss of 84.6 billion won," and pointed out, "The timing of vaccine supply and demand forecasting were inadequate."

Experts expressed concerns that such cases could be repeated. Professor Jeon cautiously predicted, "Although the government has secured 44 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, it will not be easy to exceed a vaccination rate of about 50% once vaccinations begin," adding, "Healthy young generations may not feel the need for vaccination and some may refuse vaccination citing the lack of confirmed side effects."

Currently, South Korea has announced securing 44 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, but the only vaccine with a completed contract is AstraZeneca (20 million doses). Even for the AstraZeneca vaccine, targeted for vaccination in February to March next year, there are concerns about the reliability of clinical results, and since it may be introduced domestically without approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), safety issues are being raised.

Contracts for other vaccines have not been completed. Purchase contracts are underway with Pfizer and Moderna (20 million doses each), and Janssen (4 million doses). Son Young-rae, head of the Strategic Planning Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said at a briefing held the day before, "Negotiations with Pfizer and Janssen are in the final stages," adding, "We plan to finalize contracts within this month if possible."

Allergic Reactions Reported in US Following UK
Warnings Added for Anaphylaxis

In the United States, cases of allergic reactions after receiving Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine have been reported. According to foreign media including The New York Times (NYT) on the 16th (local time), a healthcare worker in Alaska who received Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine developed flushing and shortness of breath within 10 minutes after vaccination, showing an anaphylactic reaction, an allergic hypersensitivity reaction, and was transported to the emergency room. The healthcare worker’s condition later stabilized and is expected to be discharged soon.

Previously in the UK, two National Health Service (NHS) staff members showed anaphylactic allergic reactions immediately after vaccination with Pfizer’s vaccine, but they had a history of allergies, which differs from the US case. The UK health authorities halted vaccinations for people with allergy histories immediately after these reports. US health authorities have launched an investigation, and Pfizer announced it will add warnings about anaphylaxis and other allergic reactions to the vaccine product label.

Amid growing concerns about vaccine side effects, the vaccination of US President-elect Joe Biden is also attracting attention. According to CNN, a representative of Biden’s presidential transition team stated, "President-elect Biden is scheduled to receive the vaccine as early as next week."

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