[Comprehensive] President Moon Addresses 'Vaccine Controversy'... "Trust Official Announcements on Flu Vaccination"

President Moon Emphasizes "No Causal Link Between Vaccination and Death"
Director Jeong Eun-kyung Urges "Vaccination Necessary to Prevent Influenza"
Minister Park Neung-hoo Calls Suspension of Vaccination Without Causality "Unscientific"
Prime Minister Jeong Sye-kyun Requests "Participation in Vaccination Following Government Decision"

President Moon Jae-in, during the Blue House senior secretaries and aides meeting on the 26th, addressed the issue of 'death after flu vaccination,' stating, "It has been confirmed that there is no direct connection between the deaths and the flu vaccination," and urged the public to trust the announcement from the health authorities.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] As cases of death following influenza (flu) vaccination continue to occur, sparking ongoing controversy over the safety of the flu vaccine, President Moon Jae-in has stepped in to directly address the issue.

On the 26th, regarding the issue of "death after flu vaccination," President Moon stated, "It has been confirmed that there is no direct correlation between death and flu vaccination," and urged the public to trust the announcements from health authorities.

At a senior secretaries and aides meeting held at the Blue House that day, President Moon said, "This year, it is necessary to further expand flu vaccinations not only to prevent the flu but also to prevent simultaneous infection and spread of both flu and COVID-19."

He added, "I hope that excessive anxiety does not cause people to miss timely vaccinations, which could lead to the greater risk of contracting the flu, which has a significant fatality rate."

He also urged health authorities to work to dispel public anxiety. He emphasized, "Health authorities should make every effort to prevent unnecessary public anxiety by promptly testing and transparently disclosing results for reported death cases, as well as by comparing the current status of deaths after vaccination with last year's cases and foreign cases."

This is the first time President Moon has directly addressed the safety concerns about flu vaccinations since the issue surfaced recently. It appears he stepped in to calm the rising public anxiety over the flu vaccine.

Although the government has claimed a low correlation between the flu vaccine and death cases, public anxiety has not subsided due to the continuous reports of deaths following vaccination.

Jung Eun-kyung, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, wears a serious expression during a briefing on the national influenza vaccination program held at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency in Cheongju, Chungbuk on the 24th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), as of midnight on this day, 59 deaths have been reported following flu vaccination. By age group, there are 26 people in their 70s, 26 in their 80s, 5 under 60, and 2 in their 60s. Those aged 60 and above account for 54 out of 59 cases (91.53%), making up the majority.

As the number of vaccine-related death cases increased, KDCA Commissioner Jeong Eun-kyeong stated in an emergency briefing on the 24th, "After reviewing the reported cases of death following flu vaccination, we have determined that the causal relationship with vaccination is very low, and it is necessary to continue vaccination to prevent influenza."

Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo also said at the regular briefing of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for COVID-19 on the 25th, "In the absence of a causal relationship between vaccination and deaths, simply stopping vaccination is an unscientific approach," adding, "Experts have also expressed opinions that stopping vaccination could rather cause anxiety."

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, presiding over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting on the same day, urged, "I ask the public to trust the experts' judgment and continue to participate in vaccination according to government decisions."

On the 26th, when free influenza (flu) vaccinations began for seniors aged 62 to 69, citizens lined up to receive their vaccinations.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Although health authorities and senior government officials are requesting participation in flu vaccination, stating that the causal relationship between the flu vaccine and death cases is low, the public still expresses concerns, saying they feel "anxious."

Some elderly people trusted the government's announcements and received the flu vaccine, but medical staff at primary care institutions such as local clinics have observed that a considerable number of patients are avoiding vaccination.

According to the medical community, doctors at internal medicine and pediatric clinics in areas including Yongsan-gu, Mapo-gu, and Seongdong-gu in Seoul unanimously reported, "The number of people coming to get the flu vaccine has significantly decreased."

Although free flu vaccinations for seniors aged 62 to 69 began on this day, the number of vaccine recipients felt on the ground is noticeably lower than in previous years.