Health Authorities Investigate Whether Suncheon Caregiver Experienced 'Breakthrough Infection'

On the 26th, when the government announced plans to provide 'vaccine recipient incentives' to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates, elderly people were receiving COVID-19 vaccinations at the vaccination center in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. People who have completed their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will be exempt from the immediate family gathering size limit (currently 8 people) starting from the 1st of next month. From July, they will be allowed to remove masks outdoors in places such as parks and hiking trails, and will be exempt from the set limits on the number of people allowed in indoor and outdoor multi-use facilities such as restaurants, cafes, wedding halls, religious institutions, and private gatherings. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] On the 29th, the quarantine authorities announced that they are investigating whether the case of a caregiver in Suncheon, Jeonnam, who tested positive for COVID-19 after receiving two doses of vaccine, is a 'breakthrough infection.'

The Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) responded this way in reference materials regarding related inquiries on the same day.

On this day in Suncheon, a case was reported where a caregiver who received two doses of the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine tested positive. It is known that the caregiver underwent diagnostic testing after showing suspected symptoms the day before.

However, since the caregiver's second dose was administered on the 18th, many opinions suggest it is too early to evaluate whether this qualifies as a breakthrough infection. A breakthrough infection refers to a case where a person is infected 14 days after receiving the prescribed number of COVID-19 vaccine doses at the recommended intervals.

The CDCH explained regarding this case, "It is currently under investigation," and added, "Whether it qualifies as a breakthrough infection should be evaluated based on the investigation results for each case."

As of the 21st, the authorities reported four cases of breakthrough infection. This corresponds to 0.0003% of the 1,482,842 people who had completed vaccination at that time. The authorities plan to organize information on the infection routes and the possibility of further transmission for breakthrough infection cases and disclose it through weekly briefings.

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