Even Healthy People in Their 20s Die... How to Address 'Vaccine Anxiety' Amid the Spread of the 4th Major Wave

20s Postal Worker Dies Three Days After Pfizer Second Dose
Vaccination Reservation Rate About 60% for Ages 18-49... Vaccine Hesitancy Among Young Adults
Experts: "Vaccines Clearly Effective in Preventing Disease and Reducing Deaths"

On the morning of the 17th, medical staff are administering vaccines to citizens at the Sadang Sports Complex, where a vaccination center is set up in Dongjak-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Recently, as deaths have occurred one after another, including healthy people in their 20s dying after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, concerns about vaccine side effects are rising. In particular, the vaccination reservation rate for the general public aged 18 to 49, which started on the 9th, is around 60%, lower than the government's expectations, indicating a reluctance to get vaccinated.

Some argue that to reduce anxiety about the vaccine, the government should provide transparent explanations and actively respond to side effects after vaccination. However, health authorities and experts emphasize that vaccination is essential to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

On the 17th, a petition titled "20s postal worker died 3 days after Pfizer vaccination. We demand a clear cause of death and announcement of vaccine causality" was posted on the Blue House's public petition board.

The petitioner, who identified herself as the postal worker's sister, said, "My younger brother had a health checkup in July and was very healthy except for slightly elevated liver enzymes," adding, "He died three days after the second vaccine dose, so our family cannot dismiss the reasonable suspicion that the vaccine was the cause of death."

According to Seongnam City and the police, postal worker A was found dead at his home in Taepyeong-dong, Sujeong-gu, around 5 a.m. on the 10th. A had completed the second Pfizer vaccine dose on the 7th and complained of muscle pain and flu-like symptoms to his family afterward. He fell asleep at home on the night of the 9th, and his mother tried to wake him for work early on the 10th but found him already deceased.

The petitioner pointed out, "The result of the first autopsy was 'cause of death unknown,' and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) did not attend," adding, "The investigation is ongoing through the National Forensic Service by the KDCA, and the results are expected in 1 to 2 months. In similar vaccine-related petitions, the government only repeats that there is no causal relationship."

She appealed, "In this situation of suffering like a war, if we cannot trust the government, what can we trust to endure these times?" and "I understand that vaccination reservations are currently being accepted for young people. I earnestly hope the government will be clear and honest to avoid causing anxiety and feelings of deprivation." Health authorities are currently investigating the causal relationship between A's death and the vaccine.

On the morning of the 17th, medical staff are administering vaccines to citizens at the Sadang Sports Complex, where a vaccination center is set up in Dongjak-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

The hesitation to get vaccinated is presumed to be influenced by recent deaths and severe side effect cases among young people. In fact, many young people express concerns about vaccination due to fears of severe pain or side effects.

Mr. Lee, a man in his 30s living in Seoul, said, "I am anxious about taking the risk of getting vaccinated," adding, "I worry that if an adverse reaction occurs, causality might not be recognized, or compensation might not be provided. There are many cases of vaccine side effects, so I don't want to get vaccinated yet."

The vaccination reservation rate among young and middle-aged adults is also lower compared to other age groups. According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters on the 19th, as of midnight, the pre-vaccination reservation rate for the 18-49 age group under the 10-day system was 60.4%. Out of 13,789,353 eligible people with birthdate digits ending in 0-7 and 9, 8,329,607 had made reservations.

People with birthdate digits ending in '8' completed reservations by 6 p.m. on the 19th, and the final reservation rate under the 10-day system including this group is expected to remain in the low 60% range. This falls short of the government's initial expectation of a 70% reservation rate.

The government states that including those who have already been vaccinated as a priority within the same age group, the actual figure is about 70%, but compared to the 70-80% reservation rates in other age groups, the lower rate among young people is a fact.

On the afternoon of the 12th, a citizen is receiving a vaccine at Seoul Bumin Hospital in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

According to a survey, public anxiety about vaccine safety is also high. The '3rd Social Health Survey' conducted by the COVID-19 Planning Research Group at Seoul National University Graduate School of Public Health on 1,000 adult men and women on the 11th showed that 7 out of 10 people (73.9%) said they would get vaccinated, but only 4 out of 10 (39.3%) answered that the vaccine is safe.

This means that while people feel compelled to get vaccinated amid the COVID-19 pandemic, anxiety about vaccine safety remains significant. Ultimately, transparent explanations and active responses from authorities regarding adverse reactions are necessary to alleviate anxiety and vaccine hesitancy.

Experts emphasize that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks and that vaccination is essential to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Professor Eom Jung-sik of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Gachon University Gil Medical Center explained, "It takes considerable time to clarify causality related to side effects and death cases after vaccination," adding, "While reports of death cases may cause anxiety about vaccination, this should not lead to avoidance of vaccination."

He continued, "Vaccines clearly reduce disease incidence and severe cases leading to death. Currently, there is no alternative to vaccination in responding to COVID-19," and added, "Authorities should also provide clear information and countermeasures to determine whether adverse reactions are directly related to the vaccine."

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