[Exclusive] Parents Anxious Over Fake News Claiming High School Senior Died After Vaccination in Yongin

Rapid Spread Through Internet Cafes and Others
Investigation Shows Normal School Life
Experts Say "Compensation Scope Should Be Expanded"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] "I was admitted to the intensive care unit due to an adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine, but now I am living a normal life."

As COVID-19 vaccinations are set to be expanded to adolescents aged 12 to 17 starting next month, false news such as the death of a high school senior who received the vaccine is spreading on the internet, increasing anxiety among parents.

On the 29th, posts rapidly spread on internet cafes such as the COVID vaccine side effect victims' group, reporting that a third-year student at Yongin Foreign Language High School who received the Pfizer vaccine in July underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) due to cardiac arrest and was admitted to the intensive care unit. In particular, some internet sites widely shared posts claiming that the student eventually died after receiving treatment for vaccine adverse reactions.

According to Asia Economy's investigation, the third-year student at Yongin Foreign Language High School did receive treatment for an adverse reaction, but is currently attending school normally after recovery. This student, who was generally healthy, received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on July 19, when vaccinations for all third-year students were conducted simultaneously, and collapsed on the bus while traveling between home and an academy during vacation on the 24th, five days after vaccination.

Cardiac arrest occurred, and with the help of nearby citizens, the student was urgently transported to the emergency room at Bundang Seoul National University Hospital, where CPR was performed to save their life. The student was treated with a ventilator and was diagnosed with myocarditis. After being hospitalized in the intensive care unit for seven days, the student was discharged. The hospital conducted more than ten types of genetic and heart-related tests but found no significant abnormalities.

A school official stated, "Thanks to the joint response of the guardian, hospital, and school, the crisis was safely overcome, and the student is currently preparing for the College Scholastic Ability Test. It is upsetting that false information is being spread on the internet."

However, it is known that the student personally bore all treatment and examination costs. Although the final diagnosis was myocarditis, the health authorities have not yet proceeded with compensation procedures, stating that "causality with the vaccine has not been confirmed." Among 869,517 third-year students vaccinated in Korea, 26 reported myocarditis or pericarditis adverse reactions, and after review, only 15 cases were diagnosed as actual cases, five of which were severe.

Experts pointed out that, ahead of the full-scale vaccination of 12 to 17-year-olds next month, the scope of recognition for adverse reactions and compensation procedures should be expanded. Professor Cheon Eun-mi of Ewha Mokdong Hospital said, "If vaccine anxiety spreads due to fake news before vaccinations for those aged 12 and over begin, it will cause bigger problems," adding, "In a situation where it is difficult to clearly establish causality between vaccination and adverse reactions, the government should expand the scope of compensation and, for adolescents, actively implement measures such as long-term follow-up for aftereffects and compensation."