"Vaccine Side Effects Are Scary" Expansion of Quarantine Pass... Unvaccinated People Express 'Frustration'

From Today, Up to 6 People in the Capital Area and 8 in Non-Capital Areas... 'Vaccine Pass' for Restaurants and Cafes
"Strong Opposition to Vaccine Pass" Blue House Petition Gains 220,000 Supporters

Citizens are waiting in line for their turn to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at the vaccination site. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "Isn't this practically forced vaccination?", "The side effects are scary."

The government announced that starting February next year, the 'vaccine pass' (proof of vaccination or negative test) will be applied to adolescents aged 12 to 18 for multi-use facilities such as academies and study rooms, sparking growing opposition from teenagers and parents.

In addition, criticism is rising from unvaccinated adults, increasing backlash against the government. There are criticisms that the expanded application of the vaccine pass effectively forces vaccination despite possible side effects from the vaccine.

Kim, a man in his 40s who works in an office, said, "I've seen too many cases of side effects after vaccination," and raised his voice, "What if something goes wrong after getting vaccinated?" He added, "I might not be able to work properly, and my family could suffer," expressing his frustration. Park, a man in his mid-40s with an elementary school child, said, "What if something happens to my child after vaccination? This is a matter of life and death, but there are no proper measures, it's very irresponsible," he lamented. He also pointed out, "If I can't go somewhere because of the vaccine pass, what kind of situation is that?"

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, follow-up measures for the special COVID-19 prevention plan will be implemented for four weeks starting from the 6th. The COVID-19 vaccine pass, which was limited to entertainment facilities, will be expanded to 16 industries including restaurants and cafes. Also, private gatherings will be allowed up to 6 people in the metropolitan area and 8 people in non-metropolitan areas regardless of vaccination status. The number of unvaccinated people allowed in private gatherings will be reduced from 4 to 1, and unvaccinated individuals cannot participate in private gatherings of two or more.

The vaccine pass will be widely expanded. It will apply not only to restaurants, cafes, academies, movie theaters, performance halls, study rooms, study cafes, multi-rooms (excluding arcades), PC rooms, and indoor sports game venues (spectators), but also museums, art galleries, science centers, party rooms, libraries, massage and therapy centers, etc.

Furthermore, starting February next year, the vaccine pass is expected to be applied to adolescents aged 12 to 18. Currently, the vaccine pass is not applied to those under 18. The government plans to implement these measures for four weeks from today until January 2 next year and will decide on extension based on the COVID-19 situation.

The problem lies in public concern over vaccine side effects. Among unvaccinated people, the dissatisfaction is not about rejecting vaccination itself but about anxiety over possible side effects after vaccination.

Choi, a college student in his 20s, said, "Just looking at the Blue House petitions shows how many side effects there are," and pointed out, "Expanding the vaccine pass is practically forcing vaccination."

Park, a company employee in his 30s, also said, "It's not just simple side effects; if something goes wrong, it could be life-threatening," emphasizing, "If people wear masks properly and follow prevention rules, there shouldn't be a problem." He added, "Isn't this mandatory vaccination?" expressing frustration. He said, "There are so many stories about people developing leukemia or other side effects after vaccination," and raised his voice, "People who get vaccinated should be allowed to choose whether to get the vaccine."

Another office worker in his 30s, Choi, said, "It's been a while since COVID-19 appeared," and expressed the opinion, "I hope the prevention policies show some changes now."

Petition opposing the expansion of vaccine pass application by quarantine authorities, Photo by Cheongwadae National Petition Board capture

Given the situation, petitions opposing the expansion of the vaccine pass are being posted on the Blue House's national petition site. Posts complaining about vaccine side effects are also continuously being uploaded.

On the 5th, a petitioner who identified themselves as a 2004-born high school sophomore living in Suseong-gu, Daegu, said, "I strongly oppose the vaccine pass again," and pointed out, "Due to anxiety about vaccine side effects, I have not even received the first dose yet, so I don't understand why there is such a frenzy to expand the vaccine pass."

Earlier, on the 3rd, a citizen posted a petition titled "Opposing unconditional introduction of the vaccine pass," stating, "(The introduction of the vaccine pass) is a serious human rights inequality," and pointed out, "There are certainly citizens who find additional vaccination or vaccination itself difficult or impossible due to health issues and family history." He criticized, "Yet, the government is unilaterally implementing the vaccine pass without sufficient explanation to those citizens."

The petitioner further said, "Despite many citizens suffering death or aftereffects (side effects) from vaccination, the government evades responsibility by simply blaming 'underlying conditions' and must be held accountable for the full introduction of the vaccine pass."

As citizens' concerns grow, petitions reporting side effects after vaccination continue to be posted. On the 3rd, a petitioner said, "My father developed acute myeloid leukemia after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine," and added, "My father, who never drank or smoked and was healthy, is undergoing chemotherapy for acute leukemia just three months after vaccination."

Another petitioner posted on the 2nd also appealed, "My younger brother was diagnosed with leukemia after getting vaccinated at the tender age of 20." The petitioner said, "After receiving the first vaccine dose on September 1st, bruises appeared and disappeared repeatedly all over his body within 10 days, but since I was told bruising can happen after vaccination, I didn't worry and got the second dose on October 2nd. In November, while training in the military, bruising spread to his hands and arms, and he lost strength. After blood tests, he was diagnosed with acute leukemia. Is there still no causal relationship?" expressing frustration.

Vaccine busy preparation work. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, the government reiterated the importance of vaccinating adolescents. On the 6th, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said on KBS Radio, "The vaccine supply and medical institutions are sufficiently prepared so that vaccination can be done after final exams." Regarding vaccine side effects, he said, "You don't need to worry too much about aftereffects."

He added, "Foreign countries also vaccinate adolescents because it helps overcome difficulties," and explained, "When vaccinating this year's college entrance exam candidates, there were almost no serious aftereffects. One person died about 80 days later, but that student had acute leukemia."

Regarding criticism of expanding the vaccine pass to adolescents, he emphasized again that vaccination is inevitable, saying, "Unvaccinated students can be vectors for virus transmission." Regarding claims that the vaccine pass discriminates against unvaccinated people, he said, "Other countries practically prevent social activities, but we allow proof of antibody formation or negative PCR test results." On the full return to school, he explained, "COVID-19 has prolonged, causing not only learning gaps but also serious emotional deficits. Everyone must work together to ensure full return to school."