"People in their 20s say COVID-19 is not severe for them... Do they still need to get vaccinated?"

On the morning of the 26th, when full-scale vaccination for young and middle-aged adults (18-49 years old) began, medical staff at Sarangui Hospital in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, were preparing to administer the Pfizer vaccine. 2021. 8. 26 Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] The COVID-19 vaccination for the last group in the domestic vaccination plan, those aged 18 to 49, began on the 26th. They receive messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines at designated medical institutions and vaccination centers nationwide. Among the two types of mRNA vaccines, all recipients until next week will receive the Pfizer vaccine. Subsequent vaccinations will be determined weekly based on supply conditions.

However, the reservation rate for vaccination among this young adult group aged 18 to 49 was relatively low at 68.5% as of midnight on the 29th, compared to other earlier reservation groups. Authorities explain that considering those already vaccinated or those who reserved under other target groups, the actual participation rate in this age group reaches 82.6%, but it is still low compared to the first-dose vaccination rate exceeding 90% among seniors aged 60 and above. This seems to be due to a strong belief that ‘young people have a low risk of COVID-19 infection, and even if infected, the risk of severe illness or fatality is low, so it is better not to take vaccines that may cause adverse reactions.’

In this regard, we have summarized the risks of adverse reactions that may occur after vaccination in young people and whether it is better to get vaccinated.

- There is a risk of myocarditis and pericarditis after receiving an mRNA vaccine, but should young people, who are likely to experience mild symptoms even if infected with COVID-19, still get vaccinated?

▲ Analyzing vaccine recipients in Korea shows that the COVID-19 vaccine has an infection prevention effectiveness of 82.6%, severe disease prevention effectiveness of 85.4%, and death prevention effectiveness of 97.3%. On the other hand, vaccine side effects occur in 0.42% of cases, with about 0.53% among those aged 18 to 49. Even if adverse reactions occur, most symptoms are mild, such as headaches and muscle pain. Therefore, experts agree without doubt that vaccination is necessary when weighing the benefits and risks.

Looking at overseas cases, in the United States, among 114 million people who completed two doses of mRNA vaccines, about 497 cases of myocarditis occurred. This corresponds to an incidence rate of about 3.5 cases per million people. In contrast, the benefits of vaccination for those under 30 are estimated to prevent COVID-19 infection in about 9,600 people per million, prevent hospitalization in 300 people, prevent progression to severe disease in about 60 people, and prevent death in 3 people per million.

Myocarditis can also occur from COVID-19 infection. A study of 1,597 young athletes in the U.S. found that 2.3% developed myocarditis, with 0.7% showing symptoms. This indicates a higher likelihood of myocarditis from COVID-19 infection than from vaccination.

On the morning of the 26th, when full-scale vaccination for young and middle-aged adults (18-49 years old) began, a citizen is receiving the Pfizer vaccine at Sarangui Hospital in Gwanak-gu, Seoul. August 26, 2021 Photo by Joint Press Corps

- If myocarditis or pericarditis symptoms appeared after the first dose of an mRNA vaccine, is it safe to proceed with the second dose as scheduled?

▲ Experts recommend postponing the second dose if myocarditis or pericarditis symptoms occurred after the first dose. The causes of myocarditis and pericarditis are presumed to be multiple but are not yet certain, so there is a possibility of recurrence. It is advised to be cautious about infection, follow preventive measures carefully, and wait for further research results.

- Is vaccination necessary even for those who have recovered from COVID-19 infection?

▲ Vaccination is recommended even for those who have had COVID-19 in the past. Natural infection may provide immunity against COVID-19, but studies show that reinfection risk is low for about 5 to 6 months but increases afterward. Moreover, the recently spreading variants may require higher levels of neutralizing antibodies, possibly shortening this period.

Additionally, immune responses induced by vaccines are predicted to be stronger than those from natural infection. Clinical trial results of various vaccines have shown that antibody levels after vaccination are several times higher than those in people who recovered from infection.

- What is the reason for recently allowing AstraZeneca (AZ) leftover vaccines to be administered to those aged 30 and above? How do the benefits and risks of AZ vaccination compare for people in their 30s and 40s?

▲ When the AZ vaccination age was initially limited to 30 or 50 years, the number of confirmed cases was about 1,800 at most. However, with the spread of the Delta variant, confirmed cases have frequently reached the 2,000 range. Experts judge that the benefits of vaccination have increased compared to past evaluations. Therefore, although the overall age restriction for vaccination has not been lowered to 30, authorities have opened the option for those who wish to be vaccinated due to personal will, necessity, or unavoidable reasons.

On the morning of the 26th, when full-scale vaccination for young and middle-aged adults (18-49 years old) began, citizens who received the Pfizer vaccine at Sarangui Hospital in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, were monitoring for adverse reactions. 2021. 8. 26 Photo by Joint Press Corps

- It is said that vaccination reduces the rate of severe illness and fatality, but deaths are still occurring. Does the vaccine really work?

▲ Breakthrough infections do occur, but it is important to look at the overall proportion rather than the absolute number. Among vaccinated individuals, there is an 86.4% effectiveness in preventing severe disease and 97.3% effectiveness in preventing death. Of course, since vaccine effectiveness is not 100%, some vaccinated individuals may still become severely ill or die. However, both in Korea and abroad, more confirmed cases, severe patients, and deaths occur among the unvaccinated. This has led to the assessment of ‘epidemics among the unvaccinated.’ The fact that vaccines reduce the risk of COVID-19 is confirmed not only in Korea but also internationally.

- Is it true that more deaths occur from vaccination than from COVID-19 infection?

▲ This is not true. According to domestic statistics, as of midnight the previous day, 519 deaths were reported as adverse events following vaccination, whereas deaths from COVID-19 infection reached 2,276.

Moreover, not all deaths reported after vaccination are caused by the vaccine. Even if the entire population were vaccinated simultaneously, it would be impossible for no deaths or diseases to occur afterward. Deaths from natural causes or diseases must be distinguished from adverse events caused by vaccination. Among the reported deaths following vaccination, causality has been confirmed in 2 cases, and several others are awaiting causality evaluation. Even considering this, vaccination reduces the risk of death from COVID-19.

- For university students, the vaccination period overlaps with midterm exams. Since vaccination will inevitably cause absences, is there a possibility of introducing vaccine leave or vaccine excused absence?

▲ On the 10th, the Ministry of Education recommended that universities introduce and operate vaccine excused absence policies for enrolled students receiving vaccinations during the semester. However, whether and how to implement this is left to each university’s academic operation plans and circumstances, so students should directly inquire with their respective universities about their policies.

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