13 Death Cases Nationwide After Vaccination as of Morning of 22nd
Jung Eun-kyung: "Low Causality Between Reported Death Cases and Vaccination"
Experts: "Cause of Death Cases Must Be Investigated Promptly"
[Asia Economy reporters Han Seung-gon and Kang Joo-hee] As of the morning of the 22nd, 13 cases of death following influenza (flu) vaccination have been reported nationwide, increasing public anxiety about the vaccine.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) states that the causal relationship between flu vaccination and death is low, but with more than 10 deaths occurring within a week, some argue that vaccination should be halted until the exact cause of death is clarified.
Experts emphasize that with rising public concern about the flu vaccine, the cause of the death cases must be investigated quickly and clearly.
On the 22nd, a woman in her 70s who received a flu vaccine injection in Daejeon died early that morning. According to health authorities, the woman, residing in Jijeok-dong, Yuseong-gu, passed away around 1:10 a.m. She reportedly had no underlying conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes before vaccination and had received the flu shot annually.
On the previous day (21st), deaths following flu vaccination were also reported in Changwon, Gyeongnam, and Seongju, Gyeongbuk. A man in his 70s living in Changwon was found dead at 6:10 p.m. on the 21st after receiving the flu vaccine at a nursing hospital on the 19th. In Seongju, a woman in her 70s died at 8:20 p.m. on the 21st after receiving the flu vaccine at a clinic on the 20th.
With these, the total number of deaths related to the flu vaccine nationwide has increased to 13 as of 10 a.m. today.
The first death case following flu vaccination was reported on the 16th in the Incheon area. After a 17-year-old high school student died on the morning of the 16th, deaths were reported on the 20th of a 77-year-old woman in Jeonbuk and an 82-year-old man in Daejeon. On the 21st, deaths included 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 93-year-old woman in Jeonnam. Two of the deceased's families requested that details such as region, gender, vaccination date, and date of death not be disclosed.
Jung Eun-kyung, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. / Photo by Yonhap News
Despite the consecutive deaths, health authorities maintain that it is not yet time to stop vaccinations.
At a briefing on the 21st, KDCA Director Jeong Eun-kyung stated, "As of 2 p.m. on the 21st, there have been nine reported deaths after vaccination. The vaccine product names and lot numbers are all different, so it is judged that there is no structural defect in the vaccine itself caused by a single product."
Director Jeong added, "The causal relationship between vaccination and the reported deaths is low. Vaccinations should continue, especially for elderly people, those with underlying conditions, and children, who are high-risk groups for influenza."
However, citizens still express anxiety about receiving the flu vaccine. With no clear cause of death identified and issues such as exposure to room temperature during vaccine distribution emerging, doubts about safety are growing, and calls to halt vaccinations are increasing.
Netizens have reacted negatively, saying things like, "With so many deaths, vaccination should be stopped immediately," "Who will take responsibility if the cause of death is later found to be the vaccine?" and "There were problems in the distribution process, deaths occurred afterward, yet vaccinations continue?this feels like an experiment on the public."
According to health authorities, deaths following flu vaccination have occurred in the past as well. Since 2009, there have been 25 deaths after flu vaccination, with annual numbers as follows: 8 in 2009, 1 in 2010, 1 in 2011, 0 in 2012, 1 in 2013, 5 in 2014, 3 in 2015, 0 in 2016, 2 in 2017, 2 in 2018, and 2 in 2019.
However, compared to an average of about two deaths per year over the past three years, this year's death toll exceeding 10 within a week is highly unusual. As public trust in vaccine safety declines, there is growing public opinion that the government should halt vaccinations until the cause of death is clarified.
Experts stress the need for a swift and clear investigation into the causes of death.
Professor Kim Woo-joo of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Korea University Guro Hospital said, "The cause of death needs to be investigated further, but currently, there are too many deaths to continue vaccination without caution. The cause may be related to the vaccine, coincidental, or due to underlying conditions. These causes must be scientifically classified and clearly identified."
Professor Kim added, "During the H1N1 pandemic, there were also many deaths among the elderly after flu vaccination. However, this time, there are deaths among teenagers as well, and the number of deaths is unusually high. Given the current decline in trust in the vaccine, it is not a matter of simply urging everyone to get vaccinated. There are also suspicious issues such as room temperature exposure and detection of white particles, so these must be convincingly explained to the public."
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