Vaccination Proceeding as Planned... Alleviating Anxiety Remains an Unfinished Task

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-kyun: "KCDC, review the data and organize your position"

On the afternoon of the 15th, medical staff demonstrated the preparation of the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine at the COVID-19 vaccination center set up in the auditorium of Seongdong-gu Office in Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy reporters Sojeong Seo and Seonhee Son (Sejong)] Major European countries have resumed vaccinations with AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, which had raised safety concerns, and our government has also decided to proceed with vaccinations as originally planned. However, the challenge remains to completely alleviate public anxiety about the vaccine.

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun issued an urgent directive on the morning of the 19th, stating, "Considering the situation where AstraZeneca vaccine vaccinations must continue to be expanded, the public should not have even the slightest doubt or anxiety about its safety." He instructed, "The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency should promptly convene the Vaccination Expert Committee to thoroughly review recent evaluation data from the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and domestic adverse reaction cases with experts, and clearly organize their stance."

Prime Minister Chung also ordered, "The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, which is responsible for supervising the safety of pharmaceuticals, should conduct a professional and scientific evaluation regarding the possibility of blood clot (thrombus) formation caused by the AstraZeneca vaccine and transparently disclose the results."

Our government has decided to proceed with vaccinations smoothly in the future. According to the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, vaccinations will begin on the 23rd for 377,000 residents aged 65 and older in long-term care hospitals. These individuals, who were the highest priority vaccination group, had their vaccinations postponed earlier due to concerns about efficacy in the elderly, but will now be vaccinated following the government's decision to 'continue vaccinations.'

From the first week of April, special education teachers and health teachers will receive the AstraZeneca vaccine.

However, concerns remain that anxiety about the AstraZeneca vaccine may continue for some time despite the EMA's conclusion. This follows the delayed revelation of blood clot formation cases among patients in their 60s at long-term care hospitals who died after vaccination on the 17th, and the report of blood clot formation among first responders vaccinated against COVID-19 the day before.

A man in his 20s received the AstraZeneca vaccine on the 10th and experienced symptoms of headache, chills, and vomiting. He sought medical care on the 15th and subsequently underwent blood tests and radiological examinations, which confirmed signs of cerebral thrombosis. The patient is currently hospitalized, and it has not yet been confirmed whether he has any underlying conditions.

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