[Comprehensive] The Government Says It's Safe to Get Vaccinated... But Fear Grows Amid Consecutive Death Reports, Sparking 'Flu Vaccine Phobia'

2 People, Difficult to Exclude Anaphylactic Shock
Anaphylactic Shock, Severe Systemic Allergic Reaction
KCDC "Plan to Continue Flu Vaccination"
"Not Death Due to Vaccine Itself...Suspect Underlying Conditions"
Since 2009, 1 Out of 25 Vaccine-Related Deaths Recognized as Adverse Reaction

Citizen receiving flu vaccine Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] It has been identified that up to 10 people have died after receiving the influenza (flu) vaccine. As of the afternoon of the 21st, 9 deaths following flu vaccination had been reported, but the 10th death occurred later in Andong, Gyeongbuk.

Amid public anxiety over the possibility that these deaths were caused by adverse reactions to the flu vaccine, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) stated, "No causal relationship with the vaccine has been confirmed," and announced that vaccination will continue.

Jung Eun-kyung, Commissioner, answering questions [Photo by Yonhap News]

KDCA: "Deaths not caused by issues with the vaccine itself... Vaccinations will continue"

On the afternoon of the 21st, KDCA Director Jeong Eun-kyung held an emergency briefing regarding the flu vaccine, saying, "Epidemiological investigations and autopsies to determine the cause of death are underway," and added, "We are also monitoring for adverse reactions among those vaccinated with the same vaccine lot number at the same medical institution on the same date."

The KDCA stated that while the possibility cannot be completely ruled out in some cases, overall, no direct link between flu vaccination and death has been confirmed.

They also reaffirmed their stance that there is no situation warranting the suspension of the entire flu vaccination program and that vaccinations will continue.

Director Jeong explained, "We discussed a total of six death cases reported by the morning of the 21st, but no severe adverse reactions were notably higher in any specific vaccine," adding, "Among the death cases, two cannot rule out the possibility of anaphylaxis, and for the remaining reported cases, further investigations including autopsy results and medical record reviews will be conducted to confirm causality."

Anaphylactic shock is a type of protein hypersensitivity reaction, a severe allergic response occurring within minutes to hours after exposure to causative agents such as certain foods or drugs. It manifests acutely and can be fatal if not treated immediately.

Since the report of a 17-year-old high school student’s death in Incheon on the 16th, deaths have been reported in a 77-year-old woman in Jeonbuk, an 82-year-old man in Daejeon, a 78-year-old man in Daegu, an 88-year-old man in Jeju, a 53-year-old woman in Seoul, an 89-year-old man in Gyeonggi, and a woman in her 70s in Andong. Including two additional cases whose regions and ages were not disclosed at the request of the bereaved families, the total is 10 cases.

However, the Flu Vaccine Adverse Event Investigation Team present at the briefing stated, "Deaths were not caused by problems with the vaccine itself." They noted that many people who received the same vaccine had no issues, and except for two of the six deaths initially investigated, the others were not related to acute hypersensitivity reactions. All six deceased had a history of flu vaccination, and five of them had underlying health conditions.

Regarding this, Kim Joong-gon, head of the investigation team and pediatrician at Seoul Medical Center, said, "The relationship with underlying diseases is expected to be clarified more definitively through autopsies," and "Five of the six are all elderly."

Used and discarded flu vaccine syringe [Image source=Yonhap News]

Total of 431 adverse reactions reported after flu vaccination... Approximately 12.97 million people vaccinated so far

As of the previous day, a total of 431 adverse reaction reports, including death cases, have been recorded this year following flu vaccination. Reports of adverse reactions to flu vaccines have been increasing, with 108 cases in 2017, 132 in 2018, and 177 last year. The recent controversy over deaths following flu vaccination this year is believed to have caused a surge in adverse reaction reports.

Among the adverse reaction types, allergies were the most common with 119 cases, followed by local reactions with 111 cases, and fever with 93 cases. Other adverse reactions accounted for 104 cases. Of these, 154 were from paid vaccinations and 277 from free vaccinations.

Additionally, 84 cases reported adverse reactions after receiving vaccines subject to recall or withdrawal due to 'exposure to room temperature' or 'white particle' controversies. Most of these were mild symptoms such as local reactions, fever, and allergies.

As of this date, approximately 12.97 million people nationwide have received the flu vaccine. Among them, 8.36 million were vaccinated free of charge, and 4.61 million were paid vaccinations.

Meanwhile, according to the KDCA, since 2009, there have been 25 deaths following flu vaccination. Among these, only one death case was recognized for compensation due to complications related to adverse reactions from flu vaccination: a 65-year-old woman diagnosed with Miller-Fisher syndrome after vaccination in 2009, who died in February the following year. Miller-Fisher syndrome is a rare peripheral neuropathy characterized by muscle paralysis and loss of motor function.

On the 20th, citizens lined up to receive flu vaccinations at the Korea Health Management Association Seoul Western Branch in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, where the free influenza (flu) vaccination program is being conducted.

Citizens expressing 'vaccine phobia'... Medical community advises "Observe for 20-30 minutes at the hospital after vaccination"

Although the health authorities have decided to continue this year's national flu vaccination program as planned, public anxiety is growing as deaths following flu vaccination increase. The possibility of death due to adverse reactions to the flu vaccine has led to the vaccine becoming a subject of 'phobia' (fear).

Search terms such as 'flu vaccine vaccination,' 'death after flu vaccination,' and 'vaccine phobia' have ranked high on real-time search lists on portal sites, and online communities are filled with posts like "Is everyone who got vaccinated okay?", "I feel like I shouldn't have gotten it," and "I don't want to get vaccinated. I'm scared because deaths keep happening."

In response, the medical community emphasizes that the benefits of the flu vaccine outweigh the risks and recommends staying at the hospital for about 20 to 30 minutes after vaccination to monitor for any adverse reactions.

Medical experts also advise checking one's health condition before any vaccination, not just the flu vaccine. It is best to get vaccinated when feeling well, and if experiencing fever or other symptoms, it is better to postpone vaccination.

Experts particularly recommend consulting a doctor before vaccination if one has a severe egg allergy, as many flu vaccines are produced by culturing the virus in fertilized chicken eggs.