Controversy Over 'Thrombotic Side Effects'... Prime Minister Jeong Says "AZ Vaccine Administration Temporarily Paused"

COVID-19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Meeting

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun is presiding over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting for COVID-19 response held at the Government Seoul Office Building on April 8, 2021. Photo by Yonhap News

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Son Seon-hee] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun announced on the 8th, "The government has decided to temporarily suspend the AstraZeneca vaccine inoculation for special school and health teachers, which was scheduled to start today, after considering the opinions of various experts."

Prime Minister Chung presided over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting on COVID-19 at the Government Seoul Office that morning and said, "Please understand that this is a measure prioritizing the health of the people." The government had repeatedly emphasized the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine and urged participation in vaccination, but it appears that the decision to suspend vaccination was made belatedly after the recent recognition of a link to side effects such as blood clots in Europe.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) reportedly announced the day before (local time) that it found a connection between the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and blood clots and stated that this should be officially registered as a side effect of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

However, Prime Minister Chung said, "Fortunately, the EMA issued an official opinion that 'although very rare side effects have occurred, the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine remains valid,'" and added, "The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency should carefully review these international safety evaluation results and make a scientific judgment promptly to prevent public anxiety."

Regarding the daily COVID-19 confirmed cases rising above 600 since the day before, Prime Minister Chung said, "If we fail to stop the spread here, the fourth wave could become a reality, a truly 'precarious' crisis," and added, "The prolonged accumulated fatigue from quarantine measures is also an unavoidable risk factor that is reducing the effectiveness of on-site practices."

He continued, "We know well from multiple experiences what kind of pain the fourth wave would bring to the economy and daily life," and emphasized, "The government will first awaken itself. We will look at reality soberly and focus on preparing effective quarantine measures."