Students Who Met with Yoo Eun-hye: "Schools Are More Dangerous, So Why Is the Vaccine Pass Only Applied to Hagwons?"

Deputy Prime Minister Yoo Eun-hye Holds Online Meeting with 30 Students
Questions Raised on Vaccine Side Effects, Booster Shots, and Quarantine Passes
"Breakthrough Infections Inevitable, Vaccines Highly Effective in Preventing Severe Cases, So Vaccination Is Necessary"
"Booster Shots Will Be Discussed When Effectiveness Wanes Over Time"
25 out of 30 Students Concerned About Vaccine Side Effects

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] "Why is the quarantine pass applied only to hagwons when schools are more dangerous than hagwons?"

"Is there a plan to administer booster shots to adolescents?"

Students who met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye expressed various opinions about the safety of vaccination and the adolescent quarantine pass.

On the afternoon of the 22nd, Deputy Prime Minister Yoo urged participation in vaccination during the vacation period for full in-person attendance in the new semester next year at an online meeting held at the Government Sejong Complex focusing on student vaccination.

Deputy Prime Minister Yoo added, "If any adverse reactions occur, the government is fully responsible for children and adolescents, and we are consulting with relevant ministries to support not only hospital and treatment costs but also other necessary aspects."

The meeting included 30 students from grades 6 to 12, who are eligible for vaccination, as well as experts such as Professor Lee Hyun-joo from Bundang Seoul National University Hospital and Professor Lee Jae-gap from Hallym University.

Students attending the meeting asked questions about vaccine safety and plans for booster shots. Questions ranged from "If you can still get infected after vaccination, is it really necessary to get vaccinated?" to "Should children and adolescents also receive booster shots?"

In response, Professor Lee Jae-gap explained, "In Israel, where vaccination for children and adolescents progressed rapidly, those aged 12 and over are receiving booster shots. Japan has recommended a third dose for everyone, and the U.S. is preparing for booster shots as well. As vaccine effectiveness wanes over time, booster shots for children and adolescents are inevitable."

Professor Lee added, "Since vaccine effectiveness is not 100%, breakthrough infections can occur, but even if breakthrough infections happen after vaccination, the vaccine helps prevent progression to severe illness. The effect of preventing severe disease lasts a long time, so vaccination is essential."

A survey conducted among the students attending the meeting also showed significant concerns about side effects. Out of 30 students, 19 answered that they felt vaccination was necessary but were hesitant about getting vaccinated. Regarding reasons for concern about vaccination, 25 students cited "adverse reactions." When asked what was important in vaccination, 18 students answered "support policies for adverse reactions."

Deputy Prime Minister Yoo responded, "The adverse reaction reporting rate for adolescent vaccines is 0.28%, which is lower than that of adults (0.37%), and among those aged 12 to 17, the younger the age, the lower the reporting rate. Among adolescent adverse reactions, 98% were mild symptoms such as headaches, fever, and pain at the injection site, and there were no unusual cases among the few severe reactions."

Students also expressed concerns about the quarantine pass. A female high school student said, "I made a vaccination reservation because of the quarantine pass, but I think the adolescent quarantine pass did not consider this kind of confusion. The timing of the adolescent quarantine pass should be adjusted, and I hope more opportunities for communication will be provided during the remaining period."

Deputy Prime Minister Yoo said in response, "We are discussing adjustments to the operation plan. Since students need time to get vaccinated and preparations are needed on-site, we are discussing timing adjustments and will announce them soon."

Regarding why the quarantine pass is applied only to hagwons and not schools, Ryu Hye-sook, Director of Student Support at the Ministry of Education, said, "Schools are compulsory education institutions and essential facilities, but hagwons are not. We judged based on the importance of quarantine and analyzed existing infection routes. Hagwons have many enclosed spaces, lack quarantine personnel, and infections there can spread to multiple schools. We hope people understand this is not a regulation but a measure to protect students' health."

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