Human Rights Group: "Socially Vulnerable Weak in Vaccine Access... Life Queueing Must Not Be Tolerated"

COVID-19 Human Rights Response Center Statement
"70% Herd Immunity Scientific Goal,
30% Exclusion Cannot Be an Excuse for Inequality"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Human rights organizations have demanded the guarantee of the 'right to vaccination' for socially vulnerable groups, minorities, and disadvantaged populations who have limited access to COVID-19 vaccines.

The "COVID-19 Human Rights Response Network," composed of 25 human rights organizations in Korea, issued a statement on the 17th emphasizing, "We must no longer tolerate unfair vaccinations that prioritize lives in a discriminatory manner."

While positively evaluating the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters' (CDSCH) establishment of a quarantine human rights protection team, they pointed out that efforts to create equitable vaccination have not become a reality. The organizations cited cases where the homeless, irregular workers at power plants, migrants, and inmates in correctional and protective facilities were excluded from vaccination, criticizing that "the obvious principle of guaranteeing priority to those vulnerable to infection has been erased in our society and was not applied to the marginalized vulnerable groups."

They added, "Herd immunity is a concept that requires all population groups to secure a certain level of immunity 'evenly.' Excluding 2 million resident migrants and 400,000 undocumented migrants, failing to guarantee the vaccination rights of 10 million irregular workers, and not preparing substantial vaccination measures for socioeconomically vulnerable groups such as inmates, persons with disabilities, elderly living alone, and the homeless, the government keeps repeating the phrase 'equitable vaccination' without action."

They argued, "The scientific goal of 70% herd immunity cannot be an excuse for inequality that excludes 30%," urging the government to assess the current inequalities in vaccine access and take appropriate measures. They also called for guaranteeing the 'right to vaccination' for vulnerable groups and ensuring the participation of labor and civil society in the decision-making process of quarantine policies.

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