Authorities: "Vaccine First Dose's Severe Disease Prevention Effect Slightly Reduced Amid Delta Variant Surge"
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyungsoo] As the COVID-19 Delta variant leads the fourth wave of the pandemic in South Korea, the effectiveness of the first vaccine dose in preventing severe illness has somewhat decreased.
On the 18th, Park Youngjun, head of the Epidemiological Investigation Team at the Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH), stated at a regular briefing, "Before the Delta variant became prevalent, the first dose was expected to prevent severe illness by about 80-90%," adding, "In the situation where the Delta variant is widespread, the effectiveness of the first dose is expected to be slightly lower than that."
The exact figures on how much the effectiveness in preventing severe illness has decreased were not disclosed.
With the Delta variant becoming the dominant strain in South Korea, the highest number of critically ill patients was found in their 50s.
As of midnight on the same day, there were 149 critically ill patients aged 50-59, accounting for 40.71% of the total critically ill patients (366). This was followed by those in their 60s (73 patients, 19.95%), 70s (49 patients, 13.39%), and 80s (16 patients, 4.37%).
The first dose vaccination rates were higher among those in their 60s and 70s. As of the 16th, the first dose vaccination rates for people in their 60s and 70s were 90.3% and 91.1%, respectively. The first dose vaccination rate for those aged 80 and above was also recorded at 81.4%.
The first dose vaccination rate for people in their 50s, who have a high proportion of critically ill patients, was only 47%. Although the spread of the Delta variant has somewhat reduced the vaccine's effectiveness in preventing severe illness, increasing the vaccination rate is necessary to prevent critical cases.
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Park explained, "According to foreign data, even just the first dose can be expected to prevent severe illness," and added, "More than 90% of critically ill patients in South Korea have no vaccination history."
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