Mom Cafe "Is it safe to vaccinate babies?", "Feeling anxious" complaints
Jung Eun-kyung "There is an appropriate timing for vaccination... stopping vaccination is difficult"
Experts "Death cases are not directly related to the vaccine"
On the 20th, when the free influenza (flu) vaccination program was underway, citizens received flu vaccinations. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] # Kim Mo (29), who has a 6-month-old child, is caught in a dilemma ahead of her child's flu vaccine inoculation. She said, "Babies are more vulnerable to flu infection and need to be vaccinated, but hearing continuous news of deaths makes me worried," adding, "I am stuck and don't know what to do. I know the vaccine should be given, but honestly, I feel uneasy." She continued, "Due to anxiety about the vaccine, I have postponed the inoculation for now," and added, "I told not only my child but also my parents, 'Don't get vaccinated yet, it might be better to wait a few more days.'"
As cases of death following flu (influenza) vaccination continue nationwide, concerns are rising among parents who have not yet vaccinated their children. Initially, they planned to vaccinate due to fears of a so-called 'twindemic'?the simultaneous outbreak of COVID-19 and flu?but repeated fatal incidents have caused anxiety.
In particular, parents of infants and young children are raising concerns about whether it is safe to vaccinate their young children with weak immune systems. Experts emphasize that there is no problem with the vaccine products and that vaccination should not be stopped.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), as of 4 p.m. on the 22nd, the cumulative number of reported deaths after flu vaccination was 25 cases. However, as of 8 a.m. on the 23rd, 4 more cases occurred, bringing the total number of deaths following flu vaccination to 29.
According to the KDCA, from 2009 to 2019, there were 25 deaths reported after flu vaccination over ten years, averaging 2 per year, with only one case recognized as causally related to the flu vaccine. However, this year, within a week since the 16th, 30 deaths following flu vaccination have been reported, increasing public anxiety.
Posts from parents contemplating their children's vaccination are steadily appearing on mom cafes and similar platforms. Photo by Mom Cafe screen capture.
As a result, some parents hesitate to vaccinate their children. Especially for infants and young children, who have lower immunity and are vulnerable to flu infection, there are opinions that they are reluctant to vaccinate due to the series of fatal incidents.
On online communities such as mom cafes, posts expressing anxiety about vaccination continue to appear. One member, who said she has a 6-month-old child, lamented, "I have to get the flu vaccine, but I am worried because of various news," adding, "My 6-month-old baby already has weak immunity, and I don't know what to do."
Netizens responded to the post with comments such as, "My 9-month-old baby needs the second vaccination, but I gave up. With these accidents happening continuously, I feel uneasy and can't get it done," and "I vaccinated my 7-month-old baby recently, but with the continuous death reports, I wonder if I should have done it and feel even more anxious."
The problem is that due to citizens' concerns, the golden time for vaccination may be missed. The KDCA states that considering the antibody formation period of the flu vaccine (2 weeks) and the flu season in November, it is difficult to delay the vaccination program further. Vaccination should be completed by early November at the latest to ensure vaccine effectiveness.
Jung Eun-kyung, director of the KDCA, said at the comprehensive audit of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee on the 22nd, "There is no issue with product safety, so it is inappropriate to stop vaccination. If there were safety issues requiring suspension, we would take swift action." She added, "Since there is an appropriate timing for vaccination, it is difficult to suspend vaccination for a certain period."
Experts also emphasize that there is no problem with the vaccine itself and that vaccination should not be stopped.
Professor Lee Jae-gap of Hallym University Infectious Diseases Department explained in an interview with CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the same day, "(The death cases) are not believed to be directly related to the vaccine," adding, "It was similar in 2009 when the H1N1 flu occurred. There were many death reports then as well, but epidemiological investigations proved no causal relationship."
Professor Lee said, "If the deaths were related to a specific vaccine or occurred at a specific hospital, vaccination would have already been stopped," and emphasized the need for vaccination, saying, "If vaccination rates drop, COVID-19 and influenza will co-circulate, and mortality will inevitably increase due to complications from influenza."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
