"I Won't Get Vaccinated Anymore" Vaccine Distrust... "Even Young People Benefit from Getting the Third Dose"

[Unfinished COVID]
People Saying 'I Won't Get Vaccinated' with No Benefits or Drawbacks
"Natural Immunity Varies by Symptoms During Infection... Even Young People Should Get Up to the Third Dose"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] Since the quarantine pass was lifted last March and about 35% of the population was infected with COVID-19 despite high vaccination rates, the number of people saying they "do not necessarily want to get more vaccinations" is increasing. Experts emphasize that there are definite benefits to vaccination even for young people.

Kang (27), an office worker, gave up on the idea of a third vaccination after the quarantine pass, which was only recognized for 180 days after the second dose, was lifted. Kang said, "Every time I got vaccinated, I had body aches and a fever, and I was bedridden to the point where I couldn't eat," adding, "Now, there are no disadvantages to not getting vaccinated, and no benefits from getting vaccinated, so I have no intention of getting the third dose or any additional doses that may come."

There were also opinions that distrust grew due to being infected despite vaccination. Kim (31), who works in sales, said, "I delayed vaccination because I was afraid of side effects, but due to the quarantine pass making it difficult to use restaurants during work, I completed the second dose, but caught COVID-19 a month later," adding, "My trust in the vaccine has decreased." As of the second week of this month, about 93.8% of new infections were among people who had completed the primary vaccination series but still got infected, like Kim.

For these reasons, the vaccination rate remains stagnant. The government actively recommends up to the second dose of the primary vaccination even for those who have had confirmed infections, but the second dose vaccination rate increased by only 0.4 percentage points over about three months since March 1. The third dose, which is recommended for the uninfected and voluntary for the previously infected, shows a large gap compared to the second dose rate. As of the 29th, the third dose vaccination rate was 64.9%, about 20 percentage points lower than the second dose rate.

The health authorities are encouraging vaccination by emphasizing the prevention of severe illness and death rather than infection prevention. Kwon Geun-yong, head of the COVID-19 Vaccination Management Team at the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Headquarters, explained, "The vaccines currently being administered have been continuously confirmed to prevent severe illness and death more than infection during the Omicron wave, so we are continuing to encourage the fourth dose mainly for the elderly." He added, "We will continue to monitor the situation and do our best to prevent a resurgence by making the most of existing vaccines or those under development."

Experts emphasize that although the infection prevention effect of vaccines may be lower than before, the benefits gained through vaccination are clear. Baek Soon-young, emeritus professor at Catholic University Medical School, said, "If you suffer severely from COVID-19, immunity through infection is definitely formed, but in cases of asymptomatic or mild illness, there is variation among individuals," adding, "Even young people are not completely free from the possibility of severe illness, so for those not previously infected, getting the third dose, and for those confirmed infected, completing the second dose is highly beneficial."

Meanwhile, with a COVID-19 resurgence predicted as early as this summer, there is a possibility that the fourth dose vaccination target will be expanded to those under 60. In the United States, where the BA.2.12.1 subvariant of Omicron is spreading, the fourth dose recommendation target was expanded to those aged 50 and over starting from the 20th. Previously, the fourth dose was recommended only for those aged 65 and over, and those aged 50 and over were allowed to receive it. On the 18th, Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), also stated that "the recommendation for the second booster shot (fourth dose) could be expanded to those under 50."

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