This Winter's Vaccination: Managing 'Vaccination Compliance, Updated Vaccines, and the Twin-demic'

"3 out of 10 People Hesitate to Get Vaccinated"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] As the quarantine authorities announced the '2022~2023 Winter COVID-19 Vaccination Plan,' experts said that the vaccination strategy should consider the public's vaccination compliance, the schedule for introducing updated vaccines, and the influenza epidemic.

At the 35th joint forum on 'Ongoing COVID-19 Cases and Autumn Measures,' held on the 5th by the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies, the National Academy of Medicine, and the National Academy of Science and Technology, experts made these remarks.

First, it was found that 3 out of 10 people have no intention of getting vaccinated in the second half of the year. According to a survey conducted by Professor Cheon Byung-chul's team from the Department of Preventive Medicine and Vaccine Innovation Center at Korea University College of Medicine, targeting 1,500 adults from June 20 to 30 this year, 30.5% of the public responded that they 'have no intention to get vaccinated if the fall/winter vaccination is implemented.' Regarding the intention to vaccinate their children, positive responses exceeded 80% among those aged 50-60 and above, who are presumed to have already completed their children's vaccinations, but among those in their 20s and 30s with infants or young children, the rate was relatively low at 60%.

On the vaccine conspiracy scale, the positive response rate to the statement 'Pharmaceutical companies conceal the risks of COVID-19 vaccines' was high at 44.4%. Professor Cheon said, "A long-term vision is necessary not only for the immediate vaccination rate but also for the success of future vaccinations against emerging infectious diseases," adding, "Government officials and experts involved in vaccine policy need to properly evaluate the current vaccine policy and promote it from the public's perspective."

There was also an analysis that the timing of introducing updated vaccines effective against variant viruses will be the most important factor in the vaccination strategy for the second half of the year. Professor Kim Woo-joo from the Department of Infectious Diseases at Korea University Guro Hospital explained, "How the supply of the bivalent vaccine in October will be managed is crucial," adding, "As with the initial vaccine introduction, limited quantities are likely to be introduced and administered sequentially starting with high-risk groups."

The United States has granted emergency use authorization for the BA.4 and BA.5 updated vaccines as additional doses for Pfizer vaccines for ages 12 and older and Moderna vaccines for ages 18 and older. Currently, the BA.4 and BA.5 updated vaccines are only approved in the U.S. There are only preclinical results from animal studies without clinical data on humans yet. The quarantine authorities are monitoring the approval status of these vaccines in various countries and considering the necessity of emergency authorization.

However, even if the updated vaccines are introduced domestically, it is unlikely that all additional doses will be replaced with updated vaccines as in the U.S. Kwon Geun-yong, Director of the Vaccination Management Division at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, said, "The U.S. is a producer of bivalent vaccines and introduced a large quantity at once, but in Korea, the supply will be sequential," adding, "It will be difficult to completely replace the vaccines (like in the U.S.) until the bivalent vaccines are sufficiently supplied."

Experts also pointed out that the forecast of influenza (flu) spreading to pre-COVID-19 levels this year should be taken into account. In the Southern Hemisphere, including Australia and New Zealand, influenza is spreading earlier than usual this year. A KDCA official explained, "The recent influenza detection rate is higher compared to the same period in previous years, so careful monitoring of influenza detection trends is necessary."

Professor Kim proposed a plan to administer influenza and COVID-19 vaccines simultaneously in the first or second week of October to prepare for a twin-demic of influenza and COVID-19. Team Leader Kwon said, "A clear implementation plan for simultaneous vaccination will require a definite schedule for the introduction of the bivalent vaccine," adding, "Although it is difficult to make simultaneous vaccination the standard, since its safety is sufficiently recognized, we will provide maximum convenience if possible."

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