KDCA to Announce COVID-19 Fourth Dose Vaccination Plan for Elderly on the 13th

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hyowon] The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced that it has prepared a plan for the 4th dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for the elderly and will announce it on the 13th.

On that day, the KDCA held a meeting of the Vaccination Expert Committee to discuss the criteria for administering the 4th dose to the elderly and stated that it will announce the vaccination plan after the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting on the 13th.

The quarantine authorities have been considering expanding the 4th dose target to include the elderly. Currently, the 4th dose in Korea is being administered to immunocompromised individuals who have completed the 3rd dose, as well as inpatients, residents, and workers of long-term care hospitals, facilities, and mental health promotion facilities.

However, recently, the proportion of new confirmed cases aged 60 and over has been around 20%, and about 95% of deaths have occurred among the elderly aged 60 and above, increasing the need to protect the general elderly population.

Although 90% of those aged 60 and above have completed the 3rd dose, the effectiveness of the vaccination is decreasing over time.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the 4th dose of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for adults aged 50 and over on the 30th of last month.

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