'Late Bloomer Vaccination' Asia Catches Up to US Vaccination Rates

On the 27th, as the spread of COVID-19 continues, citizens who received vaccines are waiting in the adverse reaction monitoring area at the vaccination center set up in Bukahyeon Culture and Sports Center, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Asia, which started COVID-19 vaccination relatively late, is rapidly catching up with the vaccination rates of the United States and Europe.

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 30th (local time) that "South Korea, Japan, and Malaysia have surpassed the United States in the number of vaccine doses administered per 100 people." Some countries have already exceeded or are expected to soon exceed the U.S. in the rate of second-dose vaccinations.

In particular, South Korea has seen a significant decrease in COVID-19 patient hospitalization rates thanks to vaccination. Only 0.6% of breakthrough infection cases among fully vaccinated individuals are severe patients, and deaths account for just 0.1%.

In Japan, the average number of severe patients per day last month was about 1,000, which is half the previous level. The number of hospitalized patients, which had sharply increased since June, surged to 230,000 by the end of August but recently dropped to the 30,000 range.

Jerome Kim, Director General of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), said, "It's almost like the story of the 'Tortoise and the Hare,'" adding, "In Asia, vaccines are used immediately whenever they become available."

While vaccine hesitancy and political conflicts over vaccines are widespread in the United States, Asia tends to prioritize community needs over individual freedom, according to analysis.

Although there are opposing views on vaccination in Asia, they are relatively fewer than in the U.S. and Europe, and there are also fewer politicians, civic groups, and media spreading related fake news.

Ruben Ng, Associate Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore, explained, "An analysis of media reports in the Asian region showed that most maintained a positive view of vaccines."

However, vaccine supply remains a variable in Asia. The NYT stated, "Most Asian countries lack their own vaccine manufacturing capabilities," and warned, "If booster shot vaccinations are approved in the future, supply issues may arise."

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