172 Cases of 'Vaccine Adverse Reactions' Approved for Compensation... Support for Severe Patients' Caregiving Expenses Included

1st to 4th Compensation Committees Decide Compensation for 525 out of 713 Cases Reviewed

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[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] As of now, a total of 525 cases have been confirmed for compensation related to adverse reactions following COVID-19 vaccination. Among the applications with out-of-pocket expenses under 300,000 KRW, 82.1% were approved for compensation, while only 27.9% of those with expenses over 300,000 KRW were approved.

The Vaccine Injury Compensation Expert Committee held its 4th compensation meeting on the 29th of last month to review the causality and eligibility for compensation of cases reported for adverse reactions after COVID-19 vaccination. In this meeting, a total of 291 cases were reviewed, including 212 cases under 300,000 KRW (small-amount review) and 79 cases over 300,000 KRW (regular review).

Based on medical records and epidemiological investigations, the committee comprehensively reviewed underlying diseases, medical history, family history, and clinical progress of adverse reactions after vaccination. As a result, compensation was approved for a total of 172 cases (59.1%) that received treatment for adverse reactions such as fever, headache, muscle pain, dizziness, and allergic reactions following vaccination. Among these, 153 cases out of 212 under 300,000 KRW and 19 cases out of 79 over 300,000 KRW were compensated. Decisions on 2 cases were deferred pending additional documentation and will be reconsidered.

Accordingly, out of a total of 713 cases reviewed from the 1st to the 4th meetings, 525 cases (73.6%) were approved for compensation. For cases under 300,000 KRW, 494 out of 602 were compensated, and for cases over 300,000 KRW, 31 out of 111 were compensated.

Meanwhile, the task force announced that the newly established "Medical Expense Support Project for Severe Patients Excluded from Compensation Due to Insufficient Causality Evidence after COVID-19 Vaccination" will now include nursing care fees, which were not previously supported. Currently, compensation pays a fixed nursing care fee of 50,000 KRW per day of hospitalization, but nursing care fees were excluded from the medical expense support for severe patients, limiting the relief of actual medical expenses for these patients. This measure reflects those concerns.

Nursing care fees under the medical expense support for severe patients will be provided up to 50,000 KRW per day, considering the level of nursing care fees in the compensation scheme. Applications can be made only if actual nursing care fees were incurred, and retroactive application will be allowed for those who have already applied for medical expense support.

Among the 8 individuals confirmed eligible for medical expense support so far, 3 out of 4 applicants have completed the support procedures, and the remaining case is currently in progress.

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