Additional COVID-19 Booster Shots for 60s and 50s Shortened to 4-5 Months... High-Risk Groups to Complete Boosters Within the Year (Comprehensive)

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] The interval for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for the elderly aged 60 and above, residents and workers in infection-vulnerable facilities such as nursing hospitals and care facilities, and healthcare workers will be shortened from 6 months to 4 months after completing the primary vaccination series. For people in their 50s and priority occupational groups such as military personnel, police officers, and firefighters, the booster shot interval will be advanced by one month from the existing 6 months to 5 months.

On the 17th, the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team announced a supplementary plan for additional vaccinations, which shortens the recommended booster shot interval currently advised as 6 months after completing the primary vaccination to 4 months for those in their 60s and 5 months for those in their 50s, following deliberation by the Vaccination Expert Committee the previous day.

At a regular briefing, Team Leader Jeong Eun-kyung explained, "Although South Korea's vaccination rate is high at 78.4%, we have confirmed a clear increase in breakthrough infections starting 4 months after completing the primary vaccination, especially among the elderly who were prioritized for vaccination in the first half of the year. The neutralizing ability of vaccines against the Delta variant decreases, and antibody levels decline over time after vaccination, increasing the need for booster shots."

Jeong added, "Breakthrough infections are particularly increasing in infection-vulnerable facilities such as nursing hospitals, leading to a rise in severe cases and deaths, which is placing a heavy burden on the medical response system. With the onset of the full winter season and the increased risk of infection, we aim to shorten the booster shot interval to 4 months for high-risk groups aged 60 and above and complete additional vaccinations by December."

According to the supplementary booster shot plan, individuals aged 60 and above, residents and inpatients of infection-vulnerable facilities, and those with underlying conditions (aged 18?59) will receive booster shots 4 months (120 days) after completing the primary vaccination. Workers in infection-vulnerable facilities and healthcare institutions will receive booster shots 4 months after completing the primary vaccination regardless of age, considering their high risk of transmitting the virus to elderly and patients.

People in their 50s and priority occupational groups (police, military personnel, flight attendants) will receive booster shots 5 months (150 days) after completing the primary vaccination.

Immunocompromised individuals and those vaccinated with the Janssen vaccine will maintain the current standard and receive booster shots 2 months after completing the primary vaccination.

AZ Primary Vaccination for 7 Million People Aged 60?74 to Start Booster Shots in December

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

With this shortening of the booster shot interval, the total number of people eligible for additional vaccination this year has expanded to 13,784,000, an increase of 8,192,000 compared to the current 6-month standard after completing the primary vaccination. Director Jeong said, "For those aged 60?74, about 7 million people received the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the first half of the year and the second dose in July and August, so the 4-month mark will be reached in December. Since the AstraZeneca vaccine is evaluated to have lower neutralizing ability against the Delta variant and lower antibody levels, and breakthrough infection rates are high, we will actively guide sequential vaccinations starting in December."

Inpatients and workers at nursing hospitals and healthcare personnel in medical institutions who are eligible for institutional vaccination can start receiving vaccinations from today (the 17th). For infection-vulnerable facilities such as nursing homes and various social welfare facilities that require visits from public health center vaccination teams, vaccinations will be conducted as quickly as possible through scheduling with public health centers.

Additionally, those who want rapid vaccination can receive same-day vaccination using leftover vaccines (via private SNS and medical institution standby lists) starting from the 22nd.

Individuals can make advance reservations for vaccination through the COVID-19 Vaccination Reservation website (https://ncvr.kdca.go.kr) starting two weeks before their eligible vaccination date. When the reservation period arrives, they will be notified individually via text message about their eligibility and how to make a reservation.

Advance reservations will be conducted sequentially from the 22nd of this month, and considering vaccine delivery schedules, vaccination dates can be selected from December 6 onward at the time of reservation.

Antibody Levels Maintain a Certain Level for 5 Months After Pfizer and 3 Months After AZ Second Dose... Then Decline

Furthermore, the Promotion Team's analysis of breakthrough infection rates over time after primary vaccination showed a clear increase starting 4 months after completion among the elderly. An analysis of antibody formation and persistence by vaccine type in a domestic COVID-19 vaccinated group (449 healthy adults aged 20?59) showed that the maximum antibody levels after vaccination were highest in the Moderna group, followed by the AstraZeneca-Pfizer heterologous vaccination group, Pfizer group, AstraZeneca group, and Janssen group, in that order.

Analysis of neutralizing ability against the Delta variant (the ability to neutralize the virus) showed a 2 to 4-fold reduction in neutralizing ability against the Delta variant compared to the standard strain in the AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and heterologous vaccination groups.

Analysis of antibody levels over time after completing vaccination showed that antibody levels in the Pfizer group were maintained at a certain level up to 5 months after the second dose, and in the AstraZeneca group up to 3 months after the second dose, but gradually declined over time, highlighting the need for booster shots.

Jeong said, "Analysis of real-world vaccination data from Israel, which has administered the most booster shots, shows that individuals who completed the booster shot 12 days after vaccination had a 10-fold lower infection rate and a 20-fold lower severe case rate compared to those who only completed the primary vaccination. The side effects of the Pfizer booster shot are reported to be similar to those of the existing second dose."

Jeong added, "Although the vaccination rate continues to increase, the booster shot rate among high-risk groups aged 60 and above is low at 19.6%. We earnestly urge residents and workers in infection-vulnerable facilities such as nursing hospitals and care facilities to receive their booster shots according to the shortened 4-month schedule."

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