Disruption in Vaccinations Amid Spread of 'Byeoni Virus'... Is the 4th Major Wave Coming?

"Daily Life Disrupted After AZ Vaccine" Multiple Cheong Wa Dae Petitions
Only 6 Out of 10 People Say "I Will Get Vaccinated"
Variant Virus Spreads... In Ulsan, 51 Out of 80 Cases Are 'UK Variant'

A medical staff member at the Jungnang-gu Public Health Center in Seoul is holding an AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] "I don't know when we can finally take off our masks."

Recently, the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations has slowed due to vaccine concerns, while infections from variant viruses are increasing, causing problems. In particular, variant viruses are known to have stronger transmissibility than the original virus and a higher likelihood of leading to severe illness, raising growing concerns.

The government initially aimed to achieve herd immunity by November this year through vaccination efforts. However, progress has been hindered by vaccine anxiety and the spread of variant viruses.

Recently, petitions on the Blue House's public petition board have been posted one after another, complaining of vaccine side effects. On the 3rd, a petition titled "My healthy son in his 20s became unable to live a normal life overnight after receiving the AZ vaccine" was posted on the Blue House petition board. As of 3 p.m. on the 6th, the petition had received 11,370 signatures.

The petitioner, who identified herself as the mother of a man in his 20s, claimed that her son has been experiencing inflammation in muscles throughout his body and difficulties in daily life after receiving the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine. She stated, "My son is a healthy man in his 20s with no underlying conditions and received the AZ vaccine as a priority on March 12."

According to the petitioner, her son experienced symptoms of his whole body feeling weak on the day of vaccination but thought it was a common reaction and endured it. However, two weeks after vaccination, at the end of March, he began to experience leg numbness, pain, and muscle weakness. Later, he was unable to even lift a cup of water due to complete muscle weakness throughout his body and was hospitalized on the 13th of last month.

The petitioner said, "My healthy son in his 20s became unable to live a normal life overnight after vaccination," and added, "Since citizens trust the country and get vaccinated, I believe the state must take full responsibility for any adverse cases."

Photo by Cheongwadae National Petition Board capture.

Earlier, on the 20th of last month, a petition titled "I am the husband of a nursing assistant who became paralyzed in her limbs after AZ vaccination" caused a stir. According to the petition, his wife, a nursing assistant, became paralyzed in her limbs after vaccination and was diagnosed with "acute disseminated encephalomyelitis." However, since causality with the vaccine was not recognized, she did not receive support.

As the controversy grew, President Moon Jae-in said within a day, "The nursing assistant's unfortunate situation requires warm consolation," and urged, "Relevant authorities should visit directly to assess the situation and alleviate difficulties."

As cases of vaccine side effects continue, more people are avoiding vaccination. Office worker Kim (31) said, "I understand the importance of vaccination. But after hearing so many news reports about side effects, I am also afraid," and added, "Even if side effects are rare, there's a chance I could have an adverse reaction. It's scary."

Fear of vaccine side effects is also reflected in statistics. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, together with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, commissioned Korea Research to conduct a "COVID-19 Awareness Survey" from March 27 to 29 targeting 1,000 adults aged 18 and over nationwide. Among the 943 respondents who said they were unvaccinated, 61.4% answered that they intended to get vaccinated. Meanwhile, 19.6% said they would not, and 19% responded that they were unsure.

The main reasons for hesitation were "concern about adverse reactions" (84.1%), followed by "distrust in vaccine effectiveness" (66.8%), and "lack of vaccine choice" (44.8%).

A citizen visiting the Seoul Station COVID-19 Temporary Screening Clinic is undergoing a test. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, the spread of variant viruses known to be more transmissible is increasing in some regions, heightening concerns among health authorities.

The government had planned to complete first-dose vaccinations for 70% of the population by September and achieve herd immunity by November. However, unexpected variables such as vaccine hesitancy and variant viruses have caused difficulties.

In particular, the spread of variant viruses in places like Ulsan is serious. According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, from the second week of March to the second week of April, specimens from 80 confirmed cases in Ulsan were tested, and 51 cases (63.8%) were found to have the UK variant. The UK variant is known to be 1.7 times more transmissible than the original virus.

Experts have suggested maintaining stronger social distancing measures until next month.

Professor Lee Jaegab of Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital's Infectious Diseases Department appeared on MBC Radio's "Pyo Changwon's News High Kick" on the 30th of last month and said, "Currently, there are 600 to 700 confirmed cases daily. Infectious disease experts hope for stronger messages. Since vaccination for those aged 65 and older has not progressed much, if the outbreak worsens, there is a risk of infection and severe progression. Therefore, I think it would be better to maintain stronger social distancing until around June."

He added, "Currently, social distancing levels have not been raised nor have quarantine measures been strengthened. I worry this might send the wrong message to the public."