"Avoided Cluster Infections"… COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Confirmed One After Another

Minister Kwon Deok-cheol: "Protection from infection risk through vaccines... Similar cases will increase"

On the morning of the 3rd, a medical worker at Yongsan-gu Public Health Center in Seoul is aliquoting the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] Cases of vaccinated individuals avoiding infection amid COVID-19 cluster outbreaks are being reported one after another. In response, health authorities have repeatedly urged people to participate in vaccination, as vaccines clearly demonstrate preventive effects.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) on the 19th, 12 people were recently confirmed positive for COVID-19 at a nursing hospital in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Among the total 347 residents and staff of the nursing hospital, 203 had received the AstraZeneca vaccine. Epidemiological investigations revealed that all 12 confirmed cases were among those who had not been vaccinated.

In Suncheon, Jeollanam-do, a case was reported where 6 out of 7 family members living together across three generations were infected with COVID-19. The only family member who was not infected was a vaccinated elderly person in their 70s.

Kwon Deok-cheol, the first deputy head of the CDSCH (Minister of Health and Welfare), stated, "Vaccination protected many elderly people from the risk of COVID-19 infection. Considering that the fatality rate of COVID-19 patients aged 70 and over in our country exceeds 10%, this is truly fortunate," adding, "We expect such cases to increase further in everyday life going forward."

Deputy Head Kwon added, "Currently, the COVID-19 vaccination reservation rate among elderly people aged 60 to 74 is 49.5%," and urged, "Those who have not yet made a vaccination reservation are asked to participate in the vaccination reservation to protect themselves, their families, and to join the journey toward the restoration of daily life in the Republic of Korea."

In fact, recent domestic and international studies have consistently shown the effectiveness of vaccination. In the UK, research found that about 96% of people who received one dose of the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine developed antibodies. In Korea, a comparison between those who received the first dose and those unvaccinated showed that 90.8 out of 100,000 unvaccinated people were infected with COVID-19, whereas only about 8.1 vaccinated individuals were infected 14 days after the first dose.

Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Accident Response Headquarters of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, emphasized at the COVID-19 regular briefing that "Recent research results show that a single dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine reduces the risk of infection by 90.8%, and the Pfizer vaccine by 100%," adding, "Even if infection occurs after vaccination, many current studies reveal that the rates of severe illness and fatality decrease together." He further stated, "Based on these points, we expect that by July, when vaccination of the elderly is completed, the overall number of deaths will significantly decrease."

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