Fifth Day of Vaccination... '156 Cases of Adverse Reactions'

All Adverse Reactions Mild
Vaccination Pace to Accelerate in March

On the morning of the 27th, COVID-19 medical staff who received the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine are waiting in the observation room at the Central Vaccination Center of the National Medical Center in Euljiro, Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Joint Press Corps

COVID-19 vaccination continued during the holidays, with the cumulative number of vaccinated individuals surpassing 23,000 as of the 2nd. By the fifth day of vaccinations, 156 cases of adverse reactions had been reported, but all were mild symptoms such as headaches and muscle pain.

The quarantine authorities will finalize the list of first-quarter vaccination targets this week and accelerate the vaccination process. Starting from the 3rd, regional vaccination centers are expected to expand on-site vaccinations by beginning Pfizer vaccine administration to workers at COVID-19 treatment hospitals. Early next week, first responders and workers at general hospitals are also expected to be added to the vaccination list.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) announced that as of midnight on this day, an additional 1,442 people received the COVID-19 vaccine. This brings the total number of vaccinated individuals in the country to 23,086. Among them, 22,191 people, accounting for 96.1% of all vaccinated individuals, received the AstraZeneca vaccine, while 895 were administered the Pfizer vaccine.

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-kyun stated in the morning, "The vaccination, which began last Friday, is progressing smoothly, and considering the three-day holiday, the participation rate at the vaccination sites was high." He added, "A total of 156 adverse reaction cases have been reported so far, but all were mild and recovered quickly, proving the safety of the vaccine." Among the 152 adverse reaction reports up to the previous day, fever above 38 degrees Celsius (76%) was the most common symptom, and no severe adverse reactions such as anaphylaxis were confirmed.

As the holidays come to an end, vaccine administration at the sites will also intensify. Among the 54,910 workers at COVID-19 treatment hospitals, less than 2% have been vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine so far. However, after observing cases at the central vaccination center until this day, vaccinations will begin at regional vaccination centers nationwide from the following day, so the number of vaccinated individuals is expected to increase rapidly.

The AstraZeneca vaccine, which began administration on the 26th of last month targeting workers at nursing hospitals and facilities, has already completed the shipment of 785,000 doses for the first quarter. The list for first responders and healthcare workers at high-risk medical institutions such as tertiary general hospitals and general hospitals is being finalized this week, aiming to start vaccinations on the 7th or 8th of next week. Jeong Eun-kyung, Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, stated, "All workers at nursing hospitals, facilities, high-risk medical institutions, and first responders will complete their first dose vaccinations within this month."