Health Authorities: "Vaccination for Children Aged 5-11, Infection Prevention Effect Achieved with First Dose Only"

Children with underlying conditions are recommended for vaccination
General children decide voluntarily

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] As COVID-19 vaccination reservations for children aged 5 to 11 have begun, health authorities recommend that high-risk children with underlying conditions such as chronic lung disease, diabetes, obesity, and immunocompromised status receive the vaccination.

Lee Sang-won, head of the Epidemiological Investigation and Analysis Division at the Central Disease Control Headquarters, stated at the regular briefing, "Although the fatality rate of children against the Omicron variant is relatively lower compared to adults, the impact on children with underlying conditions is significant and can lead to severe cases. The effectiveness of preventing severe illness due to the Omicron variant does not show a significant decline over time, so there is considerable benefit to vaccination."

Regarding concerns that the interval between the first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 has been extended to 8 weeks and that vaccine effectiveness might be limited after the Omicron surge, he said, "Based on overseas research results and recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO), the vaccination interval is set to 8 weeks proactively to enhance vaccine safety and effectiveness," adding, "The interval decision was made based on evidence."

Kwon Geun-yong, head of the Vaccination Management Team at the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, also said, "The decision was made considering various effectiveness and safety factors," and added, "However, vaccine effectiveness does not only appear after completing the second dose; some infection prevention and severe illness and death prevention effects for high-risk groups can be expected even after the first dose."

He continued, "Considering that vaccine effectiveness does not sharply decline between 3 to 8 weeks, setting the interval to 8 weeks does not mean that no effect can be expected until the second dose. It is important for high-risk groups to start the first dose promptly, and we will ensure that vaccinations proceed smoothly from the 31st."

From today, reservations for COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 5 to 11 have started through the online reservation website. Vaccinations will be conducted from the 31st at about 1,200 designated pediatric vaccination entrusted medical institutions nationwide. The target is children aged 5 to 11 based on their age.

The interval between the first and second doses is 8 weeks (56 days), but if there are medical reasons or personal circumstances to receive the second dose earlier, it is possible from 3 weeks (21 days) after the first dose, which is the interval approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. When children receive the vaccination, a guardian or legal representative must accompany them for safety and adverse reaction monitoring.

Meanwhile, before the primary vaccination for children aged 5 to 11, the Promotion Team also announced the results of a survey on parents' perceptions of pediatric vaccination conducted through related research. Surveying 359,110 parents of elementary school students (grades 1 to 6) nationwide about their willingness to vaccinate their children aged 5 to 11 against COVID-19, 7% (25,079) responded that they were willing and intended to vaccinate as soon as possible, and 29.1% (104,723) said they were willing but wanted to wait and observe for a while. When asked to rate their willingness on a 4-point scale, the average score was 2.06.

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