Jeong Eun-gyeong "COVID-19 is fatal for those over 60... Vaccination is a lifesaver" (Update)

Reservation Rate for Ages 70-74 at 51.7%... Ages 65-69 at 38.4%

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] The quarantine authorities strongly recommended that people aged 60 and over and those with underlying health conditions actively get vaccinated, as the risk from COVID-19 infection is greater than adverse reactions to the vaccine.

Jung Eun-kyung, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), stated at the regular briefing of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters on the 13th, "COVID-19 is very fatal to seniors aged 60 and above," adding, "Vaccination for the elderly is both a protector of health and life."

Commissioner Jung explained, "Among confirmed COVID-19 cases, seniors aged 65 and older account for 27% of all cases, meaning about 3 out of 10 are seniors aged 60 and above. On the other hand, 9.5 out of 10 deaths are people aged 60 or older, so COVID-19 is extremely fatal to the elderly."

He continued, "For those aged 80 and above, the fatality rate upon infection is 18.8%, meaning about 2 out of 10 die, which is very severe. For seniors aged 70 and above, if 100 are infected, about 6 may die from COVID-19," he said.

Commissioner Jung added, "Compared to unvaccinated individuals, those who have received at least one dose have shown an 89.5% effectiveness in preventing infection. By vaccine type, AstraZeneca vaccine showed an 86.3% reduction, and Pfizer vaccine showed a 92.8% reduction."

He also noted, "We expect the preventive effect to be even greater when fully vaccinated with two doses."

According to the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, as of the previous day, 1,100,755 people aged 70-74 and 1,148,752 people aged 65-69 had completed reservations. The reservation rates were 51.7% and 38.4%, respectively.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the same day, Seo Eun-sook, a member of the Vaccination Damage Investigation Team, stated, "The number of adverse reaction reports after COVID-19 vaccination in South Korea is similar to that of other major countries," adding, "In Europe, reports range from 0.2% to 1.9%, and in South Korea, about 0.5% of adverse reactions are reported."

Seo explained, "Among vaccinated individuals aged 60 and above in South Korea, 99.8% received the vaccine without any significant adverse reactions. Only 0.2% reported adverse reactions, and over 90% of those were mild symptoms such as fever or headache."

Adverse reactions in those aged 60 and above at 0.2%... Actual reports differ from expert assessments

She particularly introduced cases where deaths following COVID-19 vaccination showed discrepancies between actual reports and expert evaluations.

Seo said, "An 80-year-old woman with hypertension died suddenly while being transported to the emergency room by 119 ambulance two hours after receiving the Pfizer vaccine, experiencing dizziness and nausea. She was healthy enough to walk on her own and had no underlying diseases other than hypertension. Many thought the vaccine caused her death due to the timing, but the initial autopsy suggested that a ruptured aortic aneurysm was the likely cause of death."

She also mentioned a case of a man in his 50s with hypertension who died suddenly two days after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine, complaining of chest pain. The autopsy revealed heart rupture and suspected acute myocardial infarction. These two representative cases indicate that it is difficult to consider vaccination as the direct cause of death.

Furthermore, considering public concerns and burdens regarding vaccination, the scope of support for adverse reactions has been expanded.

Commissioner Jung emphasized, "For COVID-19, compensation is being expanded to cover even mild cases with out-of-pocket expenses under 300,000 KRW. Additionally, even if causality is unclear, medical expenses up to 10 million KRW will be supported for severe patients starting around next week, with retroactive application for medical expense support."

He added, "Vaccines are science. We thoroughly investigate suspected adverse reaction cases, and experts conduct objective and independent damage compensation reviews, so please trust the process. I repeatedly urge everyone to actively participate in vaccination for your health, your family's safety, and the recovery of daily life."

Professor Eom Jung-sik of Gachon University College of Medicine's Department of Infectious Diseases also said, "Vaccination is almost the only way to ease social distancing measures. Those aged 60 and above and high-risk groups such as people with diabetes must get vaccinated."