Is Nationwide Vaccination Being Promoted? ... Pregnant Women and Ages 12-17 Also Receive Booster Shots

On the 30th, citizens who received vaccines are waiting in the adverse reaction monitoring area at the vaccination center set up in Chungmu Sports Center, Jung-gu, Seoul. According to the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team on the day, the total number of first-dose vaccine recipients reached 28,641,079, accounting for 55.8% of the total population. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] As breakthrough infections of the COVID-19 vaccine have become frequent, raising concerns about the vaccine's efficacy period, health authorities have decided to implement a 'booster shot' by administering an additional vaccine dose to those who have completed their vaccination. Additionally, pregnant women and adolescents aged 12 to 17, who were previously not allowed to be vaccinated due to safety concerns, are expected to be able to receive the vaccine.

Jung Eun-kyung, head of the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Task Force, stated at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's regular briefing on the 30th, "The Vaccination Expert Committee recommended allowing vaccination for pregnant women and children and adolescents aged 12 to 17, who had been excluded from COVID-19 vaccination, and advised administering an additional dose starting six months after completing the primary vaccination series." The expert committee meeting was held on the 25th.

Director Jung explained, "The additional vaccination is recommended considering that antibody levels decrease over time after vaccination, breakthrough infections increase, and the spread of the Delta variant virus." The timing for the additional dose is six months after completing the initial vaccination. However, as of midnight on this day, there are no individuals in Korea who have passed six months since completing their vaccination. This is because the first person to complete the second dose in Korea was on March 20, when 313 people completed their second dose after Pfizer vaccinations began on February 27. Therefore, large-scale additional vaccinations are expected to start no earlier than the end of next month.

Regarding pregnant women, considering that they are a high-risk group for COVID-19 and that major countries have reported no safety issues after vaccination, and that organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States, and the United Kingdom recommend vaccination, pregnant women will be included as COVID-19 vaccination candidates. The current number of eligible pregnant women is approximately 270,000.

Adolescents aged 12 to 17 have also been recommended for vaccination, as Pfizer's vaccine was recently approved in Korea for those aged 12 and older, confirming its safety and efficacy. Additionally, the vaccine's effectiveness and safety have been verified in major countries including WHO member states. Currently, among the 2,768,836 adolescents aged 12 to 17, who are prioritized for vaccination this year as college entrance exam candidates, only 15,287 (0.6%) have received at least one dose, with vaccination previously not permitted for the rest.

They are expected to receive messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. Since Pfizer's vaccine is already authorized for those aged 12 and older, it is highly likely that Pfizer's vaccine will be administered to adolescents aged 12 to 17. However, as the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is reviewing a change in authorization to lower Moderna vaccine's age limit to 12, specific vaccines will be decided through expert consultation once the authorization is updated.

As the government sets a goal to raise the first-dose vaccination rate to 70% by Chuseok, citizens are receiving vaccines at the vaccination center set up at Chungmu Sports Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 30th. According to the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team on the day, the total number of people who have received the first dose of the vaccine is 28,641,079, accounting for 55.8% of the total population. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

Additional vaccinations are expected to begin with high-risk groups such as residents and patients admitted to nursing hospitals and facilities, workers there, and hospitals treating COVID-19 confirmed patients. Director Jung stated, "There is a priority order for additional vaccinations as well," adding, "The priority order applied at the start of vaccination will be maintained." However, since chronic disease patients and immunocompromised individuals have a high need for additional vaccination, they will also be prioritized. The Vaccination Expert Committee recognized this urgency and recommended administering booster shots to immunocompromised individuals even if six months have not passed since their last vaccination.

The type of vaccine to be used for the additional doses has not yet been determined. Director Jung said, "Currently, we have set the basic principles and direction," and added, "Details such as the type of vaccine and intervals for additional doses are being developed in the detailed implementation plan."

The task force aims to start booster shots and vaccinations for pregnant women and children and adolescents from the fourth quarter and will establish a detailed vaccination plan. Director Jung stated, "We will establish and announce the vaccination plan for pregnant women, children and adolescents, and additional doses next month, reflecting the recommendations of the Vaccination Expert Committee." He also explained, "Regarding children and adolescents aged 12 to 17, experts and the Vaccination Committee have recommended vaccination in an individual format based on the consent of parents and students rather than group vaccination," adding, "We will discuss detailed implementation plans considering this."

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