Ministry of Education and KDCA Begin Discussions on Pediatric and Adolescent Vaccination Targets, Timing, and Methods

Discussion on Enhancing Epidemiological Investigation System and Safety of Pediatric and Adolescent Vaccinations

The Ministry of Education and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency held a video conference on the 12th to discuss improvements to the epidemiological investigation system for safe in-person classes in the second half of the year and the safety of vaccinations for children and adolescents.

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Ministry of Education and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) have begun discussions on COVID-19 vaccination for children and adolescents. They plan to finalize the target groups, implementation timing, and vaccines to be used as soon as possible.

On the 12th, the Ministry of Education and KDCA held a video conference to share trends in confirmed cases among students and staff, discuss improvements to the epidemiological investigation system for safe in-person classes in the second half of the year, and review the safety of COVID-19 vaccination for children and adolescents.

The KDCA and Ministry of Education have also started discussions on the methods for COVID-19 vaccination for children and adolescents. They will specifically discuss the target groups, implementation timing, vaccines to be used, vaccination institutions, and methods, and plan to finalize and announce these details promptly.

Since June, the KDCA has been conducting a "Feasibility Analysis and Policy Development Study for Introducing COVID-19 Vaccination for Children and Adolescents," and on August 25, following a review by the Vaccination Expert Committee, it was confirmed to include children and adolescents as vaccination targets.

Recently, the COVID-19 infection rate among vaccinated age groups has been decreasing. From the second half of this year, it is expected that the infection rate among unvaccinated children and adolescent age groups will be relatively higher than other age groups. In countries such as Israel and the United States, the proportion of confirmed cases among children significantly increased after adult vaccination began.

The Ministry of Education and KDCA will re-emphasize the quarantine guidelines that students and staff must follow during the Chuseok holiday period to minimize the spread of infection among school-age groups and will provide this guidance to schools.

When confirmed cases occur in schools, a standard operating procedure (SOP) for timely risk assessment and rapid response through prompt epidemiological investigations will be established. The KDCA plans to revise the "COVID-19 Epidemiological Investigation Guidelines for Schools, Kindergartens, and Childcare Centers."

Education (Support) Offices will organize emergency contact systems with relevant local agencies (public health centers, screening clinics, etc.), and schools will prepare and manage information on facility status and personnel details in advance. When confirmed cases occur, health authorities will promptly conduct exposure risk assessments and follow-up measures based on data provided by schools to minimize further spread.

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