"Omicron is spreading," but youth vaccination rates are low... Is full in-person schooling safe?

Only 24.9% of 12-17 Year Olds Fully Vaccinated... Citizens' Concerns Grow Over 'Full School Reopening'
Ministry of Education "Will Prepare Emergency Plan", Health Authorities "Please Participate in Vaccination"
Government to Announce Strengthened Quarantine Measures on 3rd... Adjusting Allowed Number for Private Gatherings

On the morning of the 22nd of last month, students are going to school at Geumyang Elementary School in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] With the number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases approaching 5,000 for two consecutive days and the Omicron variant detected domestically, concerns are rising over the low vaccination rate among adolescents. In this situation, the current school attendance rate has reached a nationwide average of 90.3%, leading to evaluations that the Ministry of Education's policy of full in-person attendance is at a crossroads.

According to the Ministry of Education on the 1st, among 2,990 adolescents aged 12 to 17 who tested positive between the 7th and 20th of last month, 99.9% had not completed vaccination. Of the 2,986 unvaccinated individuals, 2,761 (92.3%) had not received any vaccination, and 225 (7.5%) had only received the first dose.

However, the vaccination rate among children and adolescents remains low compared to adults. As of midnight on the same day, the vaccination rate for adolescents aged 12 to 17 was 24.9% (first dose rate 46.9%), whereas as of the 3rd, 91.6% of adults aged 18 and over had completed their second dose. Particularly, among 1,860,556 individuals aged 12 to 15, only 7.7% (142,567 people) had completed the second dose, raising concerns about infections within schools.

Some analysts attribute this to the spread of 'vaccine skepticism' among parents, following consecutive breakthrough infections and reports of side effects. The Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations issued a statement saying, "Parents are reluctant to vaccinate because the safety of the vaccine is not guaranteed and the government's responsibility measures for side effects are very insufficient. It is doubtful whether vaccination rates will improve solely through administrative pressure that encourages vaccination without dispelling these concerns."

The National Parents' Association also held a press conference opposing vaccination for children and adolescents on the 30th of last month, claiming, "COVID-19 vaccines can cause serious side effects in adolescents," and questioned, "Is it reasonable to force students to get vaccinated when the vaccine's effectiveness is rapidly declining?"

On the afternoon of the 8th of last month, a citizen visiting a hospital in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, is receiving a booster shot. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Citizens express anxiety regarding school attendance for children and adolescents. One netizen, who revealed they have an elementary school child, commented, "Is it possible to maintain full in-person attendance? The school my child attends is overcrowded (which is concerning)," and added, "It doesn't seem right to force children to get vaccines that haven't even completed clinical trials."

The Ministry of Education stated it will prepare emergency plans tailored to school situations. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye appealed to the public, saying, "Full in-person attendance is key to Korea's return to normal life," and added, "While increasing adolescent vaccination rates and actively responding to the current situation, we will prepare emergency plans such as phased adjustments to school density for critical situations where emergency plans are announced."

She continued, "Since full in-person attendance began on the 22nd of last month, the number of student COVID-19 cases has increased nationwide, but the proportion of infections occurring through schools has not significantly increased compared to before full attendance. However, cases with unknown infection routes continue to rise, confirming an increased risk of community transmission."

Health authorities continue to encourage vaccination. Jung Eun-kyung, Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, urged, "Although the importance of vaccination for children and adolescents has not been emphasized, with the emergence of new variants, please participate in vaccination to protect yourself and your family."

Meanwhile, the government has tightened quarantine measures to reduce infection risks in daily life. On the morning of the 3rd, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum announced at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting held at the Government Seoul Office that starting next week, for four weeks, private gathering limits will be restricted to a maximum of 6 people in the metropolitan area and 8 people in non-metropolitan areas as part of strengthened quarantine measures.