Starting Today: Updated Vaccine Shots Begin... Effective Against Omicron Variant

Priority Vaccination for Immunocompromised Individuals, Residents and Workers in Infection-Vulnerable Facilities, and Seniors Aged 60 and Over

Vaccination photo [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Byun Seon-jin] Starting from the 11th, COVID-19 updated vaccine shots that can respond to the Omicron variant will begin.

According to the COVID-19 Vaccination Promotion Team, from this day, the bivalent vaccine (updated vaccine) based on the Omicron BA.1 variant developed by Moderna will be prioritized for immunocompromised individuals, residents, inpatients, and workers in infection-vulnerable facilities such as nursing hospitals and care facilities, and elderly people aged 60 and over. The Promotion Team plans to gradually expand the vaccination target to those aged 18 and over who have completed the primary vaccination (second dose) thereafter.

The updated vaccine used in this vaccination differs from the existing vaccines developed only based on the initial strain of the COVID-19 virus, as it was developed to respond to the Omicron variant virus as well. According to clinical results announced by the Central Disease Control Headquarters, the updated vaccine has 69% higher preventive effectiveness against BA.5, the currently dominant strain in Korea, compared to existing vaccines.

Those who participated in the advance reservation for people aged 60 and over starting from the 27th of last month can receive vaccination sequentially according to the reserved date from this day. Those aged 18 to under 60 who have completed the primary vaccination can receive additional updated vaccine shots only if there are leftover vaccines.

Same-day vaccination can be received from 4 p.m. on the 12th after checking and reserving leftover vaccines via medical institution standby lists or SNS platforms such as KakaoTalk and Naver. Another method is to contact the medical institution by phone to be added to the standby list and then receive vaccination on the same day.

This additional updated vaccine shot can be taken only after four months have passed since the last vaccination date or the date of COVID-19 diagnosis.

According to the health authorities, as of midnight on the 7th, 295,040 people have completed reservations. The reservation rate compared to the vaccination target of those aged 60 and over is 2.6%.

According to the health authorities, adverse reactions after the updated vaccine vaccination are similar to those of existing vaccines but occur less frequently.

For those who agreed to receive text messages, active monitoring will be conducted for one week after vaccination to check health status and any issues in daily life. Additionally, all vaccinated individuals will be re-informed of precautions and measures to take in case of adverse reactions on the third day after vaccination.

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