Rep. Lee Hyung-seok: "Government Measures Needed for Vaccine Inoculation of Island Residents"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Rep. Lee Hyung-seok (Democratic Party of Korea, Gwangju Buk-gu Eul) urged government ministries to take measures for vaccinating residents of island areas.

At the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee plenary meeting yesterday, Rep. Lee stated that residents aged 75 and older on islands face relatively higher time and cost burdens because they must travel to the mainland for vaccinations starting early next month.

Since the Pfizer vaccine requires strict management, including storage at minus 70℃, vaccinations must be administered at designated vaccination centers in key locations.

Therefore, elderly residents aged 75 and above living on islands must take a boat to the mainland to get vaccinated, and considering possible situations, they have no choice but to stay overnight near the vaccination center.

Because of the significant time and cost involved, there is concern that many elderly people may give up on getting vaccinated.

This situation is particularly likely in Jeonnam and Gyeongnam regions, where over 80% of the nation's islands are scattered.

Similarly, AstraZeneca vaccinations are administered not at health clinics on islands but at health centers or entrusted medical institutions on the mainland, which may cause similar issues.

Rep. Lee said, "Elderly residents of island areas must stay overnight after coming to the mainland for vaccination to monitor their condition," and added, "Support measures at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety level should be prepared, and coordination among relevant ministries is necessary."

In response, Jeon Hae-cheol, Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said, "We have not yet established vaccination measures specifically for island residents, but we will do our best to ensure that vaccinations proceed without disruption."

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