[Reporter’s Notebook] The Final Task to Move Toward 'With Corona'

On the morning of the 18th, teenagers aged 16 to 17 are receiving the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination at Hongik Hospital in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] The first step towards "gradual daily recovery (With Corona)" is already approaching next month. As the vaccination completion rate of "70% nationwide, 80% of adults," which the government initially set as a prerequisite for With Corona, is expected to be achieved as early as this weekend, expectations for daily recovery are growing.

However, the vaccination of adolescents aged 16-17 and pregnant women, which began on the 18th, is quite different. According to the quarantine authorities, only 490,000 out of 900,000 eligible adolescents have applied for vaccination since reservations started on the 5th, resulting in a reservation rate of 55.1%. In particular, only 2,568 pregnant women, accounting for 1.9% of the estimated 136,000 eligible, expressed their willingness to be vaccinated.

The biggest reason cited is concern about adverse reactions after vaccination. Only 50.9% of students responded that they believe the COVID-19 vaccine is safe. The suspension of Moderna vaccine administration to adolescents in Nordic countries due to concerns about myocarditis also seems to have played a role.

Especially, unlike the government's promise to "take full responsibility for adverse reactions," the lack of proper response to severe adverse reactions or death cases has increased anxiety. Among the 1,110 people who died after vaccination or after reporting other adverse reactions up to this day, only two cases have been confirmed to have causality: one death due to thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) and one death due to myocarditis.

Bereaved families and victims' relatives criticized the authorities' irresponsible response at the National Assembly audit, saying the adverse reaction reporting and handling process was "too complicated and cumbersome" and that "they were busy passing responsibility to each other," while Jeong Eun-kyung, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, bowed her head and said, "It is regrettable, sorry, and I apologize."

The ultimate goal of vaccination is the eradication of disease, and an essential process for this is "herd immunity." Vaccinated individuals receive the vaccine not only for themselves but also for their families and society. If we truly want to expedite daily recovery through With Corona, the government must continue to seek responsible measures regarding the recurring adverse reactions.