Ministry of Education Conducts 'Survey' on School Visit Vaccinations... Will Gather Opinions Amid Backlash Against Vaccine Pass

Survey Conducted on Self-Diagnosis App from 6th to 8th
Starting with Schools Finished with Final Exams Considering Health Center Capacity
Strong Backlash Against Quarantine Pass... "There Can Be Various Opinions"

On the 30th, the National Parents' Association and others held a press conference opposing COVID-19 vaccination for children and adolescents in front of the Blue House in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Ministry of Education will conduct a survey targeting parents and students through the self-diagnosis app ahead of the school visit vaccinations starting on the 13th.

On the 6th, the Ministry of Education announced at a regular briefing that from now until the 8th, over three days, they will survey students aged 12 to 17 and their guardians regarding their willingness to receive school-based vaccinations.

An official from the Ministry of Education explained, "After surveying the willingness for school vaccinations, the public health centers will coordinate with the education support offices to establish vaccination plans considering infrastructure and other factors. The timing of the vaccinations may vary depending on the final exam schedules, and if the start is delayed, the schedule will be adjusted accordingly."

The self-quarantine app survey asks whether they want visit vaccinations, plan to get vaccinated elsewhere, or do not wish to be vaccinated. After completing the survey this week, vaccinations will be conducted over two weeks starting from the 13th.

Except for third-year middle school students preparing for high school entrance, second-year middle school and first- and second-year high school students usually take final exams from the 6th to the 24th, so vaccinations will begin first at schools that have completed their final exams.

An official from the Ministry of Education responded, "There is no separate standard for conducting visit vaccinations, and it may vary depending on regional conditions."

Starting from February next year, a quarantine pass will also be introduced for children and adolescents aged 12 to 17 who use reading rooms or private academies, which has sparked strong opposition from parents, students, and academies. The Korea Federation of Private Academies has urged to exclude the quarantine pass application.

As of the 6th, more than 230,000 people have agreed to a Blue House petition written by a second-year high school student from Daegu opposing the introduction of the vaccine pass. The petitioner pointed out that it contains elements of human rights violations and imposes disadvantages on unvaccinated individuals without even granting the right to refuse.

In response, the Ministry of Education stated, "There can be various opinions regarding the quarantine pass," but added, "The relevant department plans to regularly meet to collect opinions, as it is necessary to fully understand the views of the parties involved during the application process."

When vaccinations for children and adolescents began, education and quarantine authorities left vaccination voluntary, but as the proportion of confirmed cases among teenagers increased and cases surged, they shifted their stance to 'strongly recommend' and are making every effort to increase vaccination rates. The Ministry of Education maintains its position to uphold the principle of full in-person attendance until an emergency plan is activated.

An official from the Ministry of Education explained, "Unlike initially, the situation regarding confirmed cases has changed. After vaccinating third-year high school students and reviewing overseas vaccination data, it was judged that the benefits are greater, so we have come to recommend vaccination."