Booster Shot Pulled Forward...? Authorities "Announcement on Additional Vaccinations Scheduled for the 18th"

On the 8th, when the additional COVID-19 vaccination (booster shot) began for Janssen vaccine recipients and inpatients, residents, and workers of nursing hospitals and nursing facilities, a Janssen vaccine recipient is receiving a booster shot at Yonsei With ENT Clinic in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] The interval for additional COVID-19 vaccinations (booster shots), currently set at six months, is expected to be shortened. Authorities announced related information on the 18th, raising the possibility that the interval could be shortened even more than the current early booster interval of five months.

The COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team stated on the afternoon of the 15th, "A briefing on additional vaccinations is scheduled to take place during the regular briefing by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on Thursday, the 18th." It is expected that a plan to shorten the booster shot interval, currently set at six months after completing the primary vaccination series, will be announced.

Earlier that day, Minister Kwon Deok-cheol of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, after receiving the Moderna vaccine booster, told reporters, "There is a need to shorten the booster shot interval even more than five months." Currently, for some vaccination groups, the booster interval has been moved up by four weeks from six months to five months, but he suggested that it should be shortened further. However, the specific adjustment of the vaccination interval will be decided through deliberation by the KDCA’s Vaccination Expert Committee. Minister Kwon also stated, "It is under review within the quarantine authorities."

Health and Welfare Minister Kwon Deok-cheol is receiving a Moderna vaccine booster shot at a medical institution in Sejong on the afternoon of the 15th. (Photo by Ministry of Health and Welfare)

However, the main issue is essentially the specific setting of the interval, and it is highly likely that the booster shot interval will be adjusted. Kim Ki-nam, head of the Vaccination Planning Division of the Promotion Team, said at a regular briefing on the 11th, "The Vaccination Expert Committee will hold discussions and announce the final decision regarding the shortening of the booster shot interval." He added, "A recent meeting of vaccine experts was held, and at that meeting, experts largely agreed on the need to advance the timing of additional vaccinations for the elderly and others, considering the increase in breakthrough infections due to the spread of the Delta variant and other quarantine situations." This suggests a high possibility of interval adjustment.

According to research results from Israel’s Clalit Research Institute and a team from Harvard University in the United States, administering booster shots to those who completed two doses of the Pfizer vaccine resulted in reductions in hospitalization rates, severity, and mortality. Based on this, authorities are actively urging additional vaccinations. According to the data, those who received booster shots had a 93% lower risk of infection and complications compared to those who completed vaccination five months earlier, a 92% lower risk of severe illness, and about an 81% lower mortality rate.

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