"Even Part-Time Workers Get Hit..." Social Service Agents Cry Twice Over Vaccine Discrimination

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] "Part-time workers have already received their first dose, so why can't we?"

Park Man-hyun (23, pseudonym), serving as a social service agent in Gwangmyeong-si, Gyeonggi Province, said, "We are also sacrificing for the country, so I wonder why we are not classified as vaccination targets."

Social service agents, who frequently come into contact with civil petitioners at government offices, are excluded from the priority COVID-19 vaccination group, sparking controversy over discrimination.

Despite the high risk of infection due to their job nature?meeting petitioners on-site for 9 hours a day, 5 days a week?the majority of social service agents have yet to receive the vaccine. Since most fulfill their military service obligations in their early 20s, it is difficult for them to be included in the vaccination target group for other reasons.

In fact, even 20-somethings working part-time at restaurants or academies are classified as priority vaccination targets. Some local governments accept vaccination applications from social service agents as well. However, these are often unilaterally canceled due to vaccine shortages.

The situation is even more serious for those who have completed basic training and started their service. Social service agents assigned to national institutions, local governments, public organizations, and social welfare facilities are not vaccination targets, unlike the public officials they work with.

The COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team is promoting vaccination for enlisted soldiers and has expanded the scope of vaccination targets for those scheduled to enlist. This applies equally to conscripted police officers, conscripted officers of the Korea Coast Guard, conscripted firefighters, correctional facility alternative service agents scheduled to enlist, and new soldiers.

Among those scheduled to enlist, social service agents are excluded from vaccination targets. This is because the quarantine authorities defined the vaccination target criteria as "those living in group settings during their service period." Supplementary service personnel such as social service agents, industrial technical personnel, and firefighters are excluded from vaccination targets. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency explained that priority vaccination was given mainly to active-duty soldiers considering vaccine supply.

Regarding this, the Military Manpower Administration stated, "Since those under 30 years old were excluded from AstraZeneca vaccine recipients, social service agents naturally fell out of the priority vaccination group," and added, "We emphasized that social service agents should be vaccinated equally with staff at about 13,000 service institutions nationwide and disseminated related official leave standards."

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