Soongsil Univ. Prof. Sim Eunha: "Prioritize COVID Vaccine for Active 20-65 Age Group with Many Contacts"

Establishing Optimal COVID-19 Vaccination Plans by Age Group

Professor Sim Eun-ha (Provided by Soongsil University)

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] Soongsil University announced on the 24th that Professor Eunha Shim of the Department of Mathematics was invited as a speaker at the Japanese Society for Mathematical Biology held online on the 22nd, where she presented research results on the optimal COVID-19 vaccination plan.

Professor Shim judged that it is essential to determine the target population for vaccination to establish an effective COVID-19 vaccination policy. First, she stated that to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19 in Korea, vaccines must be secured that can be administered to 70% of the susceptible population, assuming a vaccine efficacy of 97%.

She explained that it is essential to prioritize vaccinating more than 80% of the highly active and highly connected age group of 20 to 65 years old and more than 60% of those under 20 years old to form herd immunity. Furthermore, if the vaccine efficacy is only 90%, vaccines that can be administered to 80% of the susceptible population are necessary. Additionally, she added that to minimize the number of severe cases, prioritizing vaccination for the elderly aged 65 and above is the most effective approach.

COVID-19 Vaccination Strategies by Age Group to Minimize Confirmed Cases (Provided by Soongsil University)

She also stated that even if vaccines are developed, if securing sufficient quantities is difficult, then to minimize the number of confirmed cases, prioritizing vaccination for the population under 20 years old is the most effective measure. Professor Shim explained, "Although the fatality rate of COVID-19 is very low among those under 20, their high activity level means that vaccinating this group to maximize indirect protective effects is essential to reduce the number of infections."

Professor Shim emphasized, "To achieve herd immunity against COVID-19 in Korea, the government must secure vaccines that can be administered to at least 70% of the susceptible population."