Government: "5 Million Doses of Flu Vaccine Suspended... Some Exposed to Room Temperature" (Update)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The government plans to conduct a two-week quality verification for 5 million doses of influenza (flu) vaccines, which were temporarily suspended due to improper maintenance of refrigeration temperature during delivery, before deciding whether to dispose of them.

Jung Eun-kyung, Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), explained at a briefing on the suspension of flu vaccine administration held on the 22nd at the KDCA in Osong, Chungbuk, "The vaccines currently under scrutiny have issues related to the distribution process, specifically problems with maintaining refrigeration temperature," adding, "There are no manufacturing defects or issues related to the vaccine production by the manufacturer."

Director Jung stated, "About 12.59 million doses (single-dose units) are supplied to medical institutions through wholesalers under government procurement contracts," and explained, "Approximately 5 million doses have been supplied so far, but vaccinations have not yet been administered."

The vaccine quantity currently under question is about 5 million doses. It is known that some of these were exposed to room temperature.

The health authorities plan to conduct a final quality inspection over two weeks on the problematic batch to confirm safety before deciding on vaccine administration. If the verification results indicate safety issues requiring disposal of the batch, this year's vaccination plan will inevitably face setbacks.

The health authorities had planned to provide free vaccinations for children and adolescents under 18 and pregnant women starting today, but suspended vaccinations abruptly after discovering some issues during the distribution of doses intended for those aged 13 to 18.

Director Jung explained, "The batch currently under scrutiny is prepared for children aged 13 to 18 and older," adding, "Vaccines supplied to children starting from the 8th are from a separate supply system and are not part of the affected batch."

However, vaccinations for seniors aged 62 and older are scheduled to proceed as planned. Director Jung stated, "Vaccinations for those aged 62 and older are scheduled to begin in October, and since we started vaccinations about a month earlier than usual, we will manage to ensure the schedule for those aged 62 and older proceeds as planned."