"76% of COVID-19 Deaths Over 5 Weeks Were Among Unvaccinated Individuals"

On the 28th of last month, citizens are waiting for monitoring of adverse reactions after vaccination at the COVID-19 Vaccination Center in Mapo-gu Community Center, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] Health authorities urged vaccination, stating that the proportion of unvaccinated individuals among recent COVID-19 deaths reached 76%. They also requested active vaccination participation from the elderly, as their proportion accounted for 86%.

Park Hyang, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, emphasized during the regular COVID-19 briefing on the morning of the 1st that an analysis of 389 COVID-19 deaths over the past five weeks showed "294 people, or 75.6%, had not completed vaccination," and "among them, 333 were aged 60 or older, accounting for 85.6%." He added, "The risk of death appears to increase the less vaccinated a person is and the older they are," and strongly recommended, "Especially those elderly who have not yet completed vaccination should definitely get vaccinated."

Regarding concerns about breakthrough infections even after vaccination, Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, stated, "Comparing the past eight weeks, vaccinated individuals account for about one-quarter of total confirmed cases, while unvaccinated individuals make up about three-quarters." He said, "(Vaccinated individuals) are reported to reduce the severity and mortality rate of COVID-19 by nearly 90%," emphasizing that "the most important issue is whether our medical system can respond appropriately within a manageable range to minimize critical patients and deaths," and thus strongly encouraged vaccination.

However, he also viewed the surge in confirmed cases due to the phased return to normal life as 'inevitable.' Son explained, "Since current quarantine measures will be eased, various gatherings and events that were not held before are expected to occur quite frequently with the anticipation of returning to normal life," and added, "We are judging that the increase in confirmed cases is unavoidable." He stressed, "The key issue is whether the increase in confirmed cases will remain within the capacity of the medical system," and said, "We continue to urge the public to cooperate with quarantine rules, including safety measures for high-risk facilities such as the vaccine pass."

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