"Vaccine First Dose Coverage Surpasses 50%, Confirmed Cases Decrease Among Middle School Students"

Hong Jeong-ik, Head of Vaccination Management Team, "Quarantine Pass is a Measure to Protect Children"

On the morning of the 18th, teenagers aged 16 to 17 are receiving COVID-19 vaccinations at Hongik Hospital in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] The quarantine authorities announced that confirmed cases have decreased among middle school students, who have surpassed a 50% first-dose COVID-19 vaccination rate, unlike elementary school students who are not included in the vaccination target.

On the morning of the 21st, Hong Jeong-ik, head of the COVID-19 Vaccination Management Team at the Vaccination Response Headquarters, said this during a phone interview with TBS's 'Kim Eo-jun's News Factory.'

Team Leader Hong stated that while confirmed cases among elementary school students aged 7 to 11 have recently increased sharply, cases among middle school students have slightly decreased since last week. He said, "Currently, the first-dose vaccination rate for 16-17-year-olds, corresponding to the first and second years of high school, is about 77.6%, and for third-year high school students, it exceeds 97%. Middle school students have been vaccinated at about 52%," he said. He explained that the first-dose vaccination rate for 6th-grade elementary school students (12 years old), who are eligible for vaccination among elementary students, is 36%.

Team Leader Hong also stated that vaccination plans for children aged 7 to 11 are being prepared. Hong said, "We have commissioned research projects and are monitoring the approval status from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety," adding, "We are also tracking policy trends regarding vaccination for 5-11-year-olds in various countries." He added, "Vaccination can be considered the best preventive method."

Regarding the youth vaccination certificate and negative test confirmation system (quarantine pass), he emphasized that it is a measure to protect children. Team Leader Hong said, "The main purpose of the quarantine pass is to protect by preventing those with risk factors, such as the unvaccinated, from entering high-risk areas," and mentioned that several European countries including Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, as well as Israel and some regions in the United States, also apply youth quarantine passes.

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