53 Reports of Adverse Reactions to COVID-19 Vaccine... 2 Additional Death Cases Reported (Comprehensive)

COVAX to Supply 2,102,400 Doses of AZ Vaccine Domestically by May

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] The number of suspected adverse reaction reports following COVID-19 vaccination, including death cases, has increased by 53 to a total of 209 cases.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) Central Disease Control Headquarters announced on the 3rd at midnight that among the 209 reported suspected adverse reaction cases after vaccination, 2 death cases have been reported and investigations are underway.

The remaining 204 cases were mild symptoms commonly occurring after vaccination, such as headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting.

The 53 newly reported adverse reaction cases were all reported after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine. Except for the death cases, 48 cases involved mild symptoms such as headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting. The remaining 3 cases were reported as suspected anaphylaxis.

The KDCA explained, "The 3 cases were reported by medical institutions as suspected anaphylaxis-like reactions," adding, "These involved symptoms such as difficulty breathing and hives occurring within 2 hours after vaccination, which differ from true anaphylaxis."

On the same day, KDCA Commissioner Jeong Eun-kyung stated, "There are 2 reported death cases following COVID-19 vaccination today, and an epidemiological investigation and damage investigation team will be convened to determine causality."

According to the KDCA, deceased individual A (male, in his 50s) was a patient hospitalized in a nursing hospital. After receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine around 9:30 AM on the 2nd, he experienced chest pain, nausea, and difficulty breathing about 11 hours later, received treatment, but was confirmed dead at 7 AM on the 3rd.

Deceased individual B (male, in his 60s) was also a patient hospitalized in a nursing hospital. After receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine around 2:30 AM on the 27th of last month, he showed symptoms such as fever and generalized muscle pain 33 hours later. His condition initially improved but then worsened, and he died at 10 AM today.

The KDCA is conducting an epidemiological investigation with the relevant local governments and plans to verify the association with vaccination through additional medical record reviews, rapid response team assessments at provincial levels, and KDCA damage investigation team reviews.

Commissioner Jeong said, "We are conducting a prompt investigation to determine the causal relationship and cause related to vaccination," and urged, "To prevent severe adverse reactions such as anaphylaxis, please receive vaccination on days when you are in good health."

He added, "During the waiting period, be sure to stay well hydrated, and if you have any symptoms or chronic diseases during the pre-vaccination screening, be sure to inform the medical staff. Especially, individuals with chronic or underlying conditions should closely monitor for any adverse reactions after vaccination."

On the morning of the 26th, medical staff at Geumcheon-gu Public Health Center in Seoul are administering the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine for COVID-19 to a care worker. Photo by Joint Press Corps

The COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team announced that as of midnight on the same day, an additional 63,644 people received vaccinations, bringing the total number of people who completed the first dose to 87,428. Among them, 85,904 received the AstraZeneca vaccine, and 1,524 received the Pfizer vaccine.

By vaccination institution and target group, 71,456 nursing hospital residents received vaccinations, accounting for 35.2% of the target population. Nursing facility residents numbered 14,307 (13.2%), COVID-19 patient treatment hospital staff were 1,524 (2.7%), and 141 first responders received vaccinations.

Meanwhile, the Promotion Team announced that the first distribution results of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the COVAX Facility were notified on the same day.

The KDCA stated, "A total of 2,102,400 doses are scheduled to be supplied to Korea by May," and added, "Additional notifications regarding the distribution volumes for February-March and April-May are expected around this weekend."