"Even a Cup of Coffee Feels Risky"... Continued Opposition to Applying Quarantine Pass to Pregnant Women

Government Urges Pregnant Women to Get Vaccinated Actively, Maintains Quarantine Pass Application
Pregnant Women Protest, "Will You Take Responsibility if Baby Has Side Effects?"
Political Circles Criticize, "Pregnant Women Should Not Be Discriminated Against Because of Vaccines"

Pregnant woman. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] As the government decided to maintain the application of the quarantine pass (vaccination certificate and negative test confirmation system) for pregnant women with children, concerns and worries among pregnant women are growing. Pregnant women strongly oppose the government’s enforcement of vaccination through the quarantine pass, saying that they cannot know whether the vaccine will cause side effects to the fetus.

Recently, many petitions titled "Please do not force vaccination on pregnant women" have been posted on the Blue House’s public petition board. One petitioner, who revealed she is currently pregnant with her second child, said, "I was afraid after seeing healthy adults experience fever symptoms and other risks after vaccination. But now, with the introduction of the quarantine pass system, I am also forced to get vaccinated as a pregnant woman," and questioned, "Am I wrong for delaying vaccination for the safety of my fetus?"

She continued, "If something goes wrong with the fetus after vaccination, will the state take responsibility?" and lamented, "With the quarantine pass applied, I can’t even go to restaurants with my first child. I have become a mother who can do nothing for both my first child and the baby in my womb."

Posts criticizing the government’s application of the quarantine pass also continued in online communities for pregnant women. One netizen said, "It seems too harsh to block the daily lives of pregnant women and not recognize exceptions while telling them to have children," and complained, "Pregnant women are cautious and worried even about taking a single pill or a cup of coffee. The government does not take responsibility for side effects, yet they expect us to bear all risks and get vaccinated."

Medical staff are administering the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at Jungnim-dong Community Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier, as the government decided to expand the exceptions for the quarantine pass, some expected that pregnant women would be included as exceptions, but the government decided to apply the quarantine pass to pregnant women as is. The government explained that pregnant women are a high-risk group for COVID-19, and since the severity rate is high when infected, vaccination is rather recommended.

On the 20th, Kwon Junwook, the 2nd Deputy Director of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, said at a regular briefing, "Pregnant women have a severity rate nine times higher than non-pregnant women of childbearing age when infected with COVID-19," and explained, "According to overseas research results, pregnant women infected with COVID-19 have an increased risk of preterm birth or low birth weight delivery."

He added, "Countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada recommend vaccination for pregnant women," and emphasized, "Pregnant women should actively get vaccinated because the impact on the fetus is significant when infected with COVID-19."

However, opposition remains that applying the quarantine pass to pregnant women is an excessive measure. Critics point out that the government does not consider the position of pregnant women who hesitate to get vaccinated due to concerns about the effects on the fetus.

Voices criticizing the government’s application of the quarantine pass to pregnant women also came from the political sphere. Yoon Seokyoul, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, said on Facebook on the 19th, "A mother who cares for her child cannot even properly take a cold medicine pill for fear that something might happen to the fetus’s health. The entire pregnant family worries throughout the 10-month pregnancy period," and said, "Due to ultra-low birth rates, the country’s future is bleak. I request the government not to discriminate against or disadvantage pregnant women just because they have not been vaccinated."

From the same party, Representative Bae Hyunjin also proposed an amendment to the "Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act" to prevent forcing COVID-19 vaccination on pregnant women. Representative Bae criticized the government, saying, "The fear of vaccines that have not been finally verified for safety, especially ignoring possible side effects on the fetus, is being overlooked."

Experts showed contrasting views regarding the application of the quarantine pass to pregnant women. Professor Chun Eunmi of the Department of Respiratory Medicine at Ewha Mokdong Hospital said in an interview with YTN News Live, "I understand that most pregnant women do not get vaccinated mainly because of concerns about the fetus rather than themselves. Although there are some clinical studies on fetal side effects related to vaccination, there are no long-term studies. Also, there are studies showing that the frequency of miscarriage or preterm birth is not high when pregnant women are vaccinated, but pregnant women cannot be reassured by those studies alone. If the quarantine pass is not applied to places necessary for daily life such as supermarkets, pregnant women might be able to choose vaccination voluntarily."

On the other hand, there is also an opinion that vaccination of pregnant women is absolutely necessary. Professor Eom Jung-sik of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Gachon University Gil Medical Center said, "Medical staff who have treated pregnant COVID-19 patients would recommend vaccination to any pregnant woman. The severity and mortality rates increase several times when pregnant women are infected. That means it is very risky," and emphasized, "So far, there is no evidence that vaccination affects the fetus or pregnant women. The benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks."