Why People in Their 50s Must Get the 4th COVID-19 Vaccine Dose... "Fatality Rate 4 Times Higher Than in Their 40s"

Vaccination Response Task Force: 90% of Deaths Are Aged 60 and Over
US, UK, and Germany Also Expand Recommended Vaccination Age

[Image source=Yonhap News]

With the emergence of a new variant that has strong transmissibility and immune evasion, the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases is rapidly increasing, prompting health authorities to once again recommend the 4th vaccine dose to prevent severe illness among the elderly.

Im Eul-gi, Head of the Vaccination Management Division at the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Task Force, stated at a briefing on the 21st, "Among the deaths in the past week, 90.4% were aged 60 and above, indicating that vulnerability to COVID-19 increases with age," and urged, "Please make sure to participate in the 4th vaccination." He especially encouraged those in their 50s, who have been included in the 4th dose target group starting this week, to actively get vaccinated.

According to the task force, as of the second week of July, the cumulative severe illness rates by age group were 0.05% for those in their 40s, 0.14% for those in their 50s, and 0.38% for those in their 60s. The cumulative fatality rates were 0.01% for the 40s, 0.04% for the 50s, and 0.15% for the 60s. Although the severe illness and fatality rates for those in their 50s are lower than those in their 60s, compared to the 40s, the severe illness rate is about three times higher, and the fatality rate is about four times higher.

Im emphasized the necessity of vaccination by stating, "Many people in their 50s have underlying conditions, especially undiagnosed ones."

According to data released on the 15th by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analyzing COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness, the hospitalization prevention effect for those aged 50 and above one week after the 4th dose was 80%, significantly higher than the 55% observed four months after the 3rd dose. Based on this analysis, the CDC urged those eligible for the 4th dose, including those in their 50s and older, to get vaccinated immediately.

On the 15th, the UK expanded its recommendation for the 4th dose from those aged 75 and above to adults aged 50 and above and clinical risk groups aged 5 to 49. Germany also lowered the recommended age from 70 and above to 60 and above on the same day. Additionally, those under 60 can get vaccinated after consulting with a doctor.

In South Korea, the number of reservations and vaccinations for the 4th dose is also increasing. The number of vaccinations in the second week of July, when the 4th dose target group was expanded, was 160,000, which is 1.95 times higher than the previous week. From July 18 to 20, when same-day vaccinations and advance reservations began following the expansion of the target group, 210,000 vaccinations were administered, exceeding the total for the entire second week of July. The number of 4th dose reservations from July 18 to 20 was 710,000, more than double the 300,000 reservations in the second week of July.

Last week, 485 new reports of suspected adverse reactions following COVID-19 vaccination were received. The cumulative number of adverse reaction reports stands at 472,806, accounting for 0.38% of all vaccinations.

Among 6,698,676 vaccinations administered to children and adolescents aged 5 to 18, 21,012 adverse reactions (0.32%) were reported.

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