7 out of 10 Police Officers Have Received AZ Vaccine... Vaccination Rate at 71.72%

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Lee Gwan-ju and Song Seung-yoon] It has been reported that 7 out of 10 police officers have completed their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

According to the National Police Agency on the 9th, among 117,579 employees aged 30 and above, 84,324 (71.72%) completed their first dose of the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine during the two weeks leading up to the previous day. Among 85,441 individuals who made prior reservations for vaccination, 98.7% received the vaccine.

The police, classified as essential social personnel along with fire and maritime police, received vaccinations at designated entrusted medical institutions by city, county, and district starting from the 26th of last month. Those under 30 years old were excluded from vaccination due to concerns about the possibility of rare thrombosis.

Earlier, criticism arose within the police force that the command effectively coerced officers into receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Sergeant Kim Ki-beom, chairman of the workplace council at Gimhae Jungbu Police Station in Gyeongnam, filed a complaint on the Human Rights Commission website on the 30th of last month, alleging that the police command violated employees' human rights.

In the complaint, Sergeant Kim reportedly claimed, "Contrary to the initial promise that the decision to receive the vaccine would be voluntary, the command forced officers to get vaccinated." It also reportedly included that "officers who received orders from the command to increase vaccination rates compared vaccination reservation rates by police station, department, and district police station, psychologically pressuring employees."

Sergeant Kim received the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine on the 29th of last month, one day before filing the complaint with the Human Rights Commission. On the 6th of this month, he posted on the police internal network ‘Polnet’ to disclose the complaint. In his post, he pointed out, "I could hardly believe my eyes that such things were happening in the police in 2021," and added, "The basic rights of me and my colleagues as citizens were not protected in the name of the 'organization.'"