AstraZeneca Vaccine... Is It Safe for 65 and Older Starting This Month?

Government Decides to Administer AZ Vaccine to Elderly Starting This Month
7,648 Domestic Reports of Suspected Vaccine Adverse Reactions
Experts Urge Transparent Investigation of Severe Reactions and Death Causes

On the 26th of last month, when COVID-19 vaccinations began in South Korea, medical staff at Dobong-gu Public Health Center in Seoul were filling syringes with the AstraZeneca vaccine. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] The government has decided to administer the AstraZeneca (AZ) COVID-19 vaccine to seniors aged 65 and older starting this month. However, as cases of side effects after receiving the AZ vaccine have frequently occurred, concerns about vaccination are rising.

Experts have suggested that to alleviate anxiety about vaccination, it is necessary to build social trust by establishing systems for adverse reaction response and compensation for damages.

The COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team (Promotion Team) announced on the 11th that, following the deliberation of the Vaccination Expert Committee held on the 10th, AZ vaccine administration will be implemented for those aged 65 and older.

The Promotion Team stated, "The Vaccination Expert Committee reviewed research results from the UK and Scotland and recommended the use of the AZ vaccine for those aged 65 and older because its effectiveness in preventing hospitalization and severe cases in the elderly was proven."

According to this, recently in the UK, both Pfizer and AZ vaccines showed about 70% effectiveness in preventing illness and hospitalization among seniors aged 70 and above. In Scotland, research results showed that the hospitalization prevention effectiveness of Pfizer and AZ vaccines was up to 85% and 94%, respectively.

The Promotion Team plans to carry out vaccinations this month for approximately 376,000 residents and workers aged 65 and older in nursing hospitals and nursing facilities.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Citizens still express anxiety about getting vaccinated. This is because there have been frequent reports of adverse symptoms ranging from relatively mild symptoms such as high fever and headaches to severe body aches and muscle pain after receiving the AZ vaccine.

According to the Promotion Team on the 12th, as of midnight that day, 789 new cases of adverse reactions after vaccination were reported. Since vaccinations began on the 26th of last month, a total of 7,648 suspected adverse reaction reports have been filed domestically, which is about 1.4% of the 546,277 people vaccinated nationwide.

Looking at adverse reaction reports by vaccine type, 7,567 cases (98.9% of total reports) were related to the AZ vaccine. Reports related to the Pfizer vaccine numbered 81 cases (1.1%).

Meanwhile, on the 9th, a practicing physician gained attention by leaving a review stating, "I thought there would be no side effects, but I surprisingly experienced considerable side effects" after receiving the AZ vaccine.

Dr. Kim Kyung-ryeol, a rehabilitation medicine specialist who runs the YouTube channel 'Busan Doctor Kim Wonjang,' said in a video titled "Honest Side Effect Review of AstraZeneca Vaccine" that "about 10 hours after receiving the AZ vaccine shot on the 4th, I experienced a fever over 38 degrees Celsius, chills, sore throat, and flu-like symptoms," adding, "It's not exactly a side effect but a typical immune response symptom, and it was very severe."

According to Dr. Kim, among 30 other staff members, 70% experienced side effects, and 60% of them had symptoms as severe as his.

As a result, concerns have been raised that adverse reactions could pose life-threatening risks to elderly people with underlying conditions if they receive the vaccine. In particular, among the 15 deaths reported after vaccination in Korea, most were patients with underlying conditions in nursing hospitals. The causal relationship between death and vaccination has not yet been confirmed.

Experts emphasize the need to establish systems for adverse reaction response and compensation to alleviate public anxiety about vaccination.

Researcher Lee Cheol-woo of the International Vaccine Institute said in an interview with YTN Radio's "Hwang Boseon's Starting Morning," "The government likely decided to vaccinate the elderly based on immune activation data and the verification of sufficient safety in those aged 65 and older," adding, "Ultimately, one of the most important factors in achieving the 70% vaccination rate needed for herd immunity is building social trust in vaccination."

He continued, "Cases of outright refusal to vaccinate are relatively rare," and emphasized, "To encourage vaccination, it is necessary to establish systems for adverse reaction response and compensation to reduce anxiety about vaccines and increase vaccination rates."

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