Ministry of Education "Considering Granting Vaccine Choice to Adolescents Aged 12-17"

Ministry of Education "Considering Changes to Guidelines for Vaccinated Individuals in Schools"
Disease Control Agency Expected to Announce Vaccination Targets and Plans This Month

A high school senior preparing for the 2022 College Scholastic Ability Test, 100 days away, is receiving a COVID-19 vaccination at the vaccination center set up at Dongjak-gu Community Sports Center in Seoul on the 10th. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Ministry of Education announced that it is discussing COVID-19 vaccination for adolescents aged 12 to 17 and plans to give the eligible individuals the choice to decide whether to get vaccinated.

At the regular COVID-19 response briefing held by the Ministry of Education on the 13th, a ministry official stated, "We are considering a plan to grant voluntary choice regarding vaccination rather than mandatory vaccination."

The Ministry of Education's stance is that instead of providing incentives or penalties, school quarantine guidelines for vaccinated individuals may be adjusted.

The official explained, "Vaccination for high school seniors (Grade 3) was conducted based on their own will, and the same approach will be applied to those aged 12 to 17. Once vaccination is completed, additional changes to guidelines for vaccinated individuals within schools may be made, and this is currently under review."

Detailed information regarding vaccination for adolescents is expected to be announced by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) later this month. After consultations with the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, detailed plans are likely to be released soon.

The day before, the Ministry of Education also announced that it has begun discussions with the KDCA on methods for COVID-19 vaccination for children and adolescents. They plan to finalize and announce specifics such as eligible groups, timing, vaccines to be used, and vaccination institutions and methods as soon as possible.

Since June, the KDCA has been conducting a "Feasibility Analysis and Policy Development Study on the Introduction of COVID-19 Vaccination for Children and Adolescents," and on August 25, after review by the Vaccination Expert Committee, it was confirmed that children and adolescents would be included as vaccination targets.

If vaccination for those aged 12 to 17 is expanded, there is also a possibility that the number of students attending school in person will increase. During a briefing on the 9th, Deputy Minister of Education Jeong Jong-cheol stated, "Vaccination is an important measure alongside individual and school-level quarantine measures, and the progress of vaccination for children and adolescents is a major variable in the phased recovery plan. As quarantine measures such as vaccination are strengthened, it will be possible to expand to full in-person attendance."

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