Elderly Vaccination Rate Increases by Only 3.3%p in a Week
Vaccination Rate in Vulnerable Facilities at 30.1%... Half of 60% Target
"Sufficient Vaccination Needed to Lift Indoor Mask Mandate"
[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The government is encouraging additional winter vaccinations to minimize casualties from the COVID-19 resurgence, but public participation is falling short of expectations. Regarding the recent controversy over lifting the indoor mask mandate, authorities judged that "it is not yet time to lift the mandate as the additional vaccination rate remains low."
According to the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Task Force of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) as of midnight the previous day on the 6th, the vaccination rate among the elderly aged 60 and over eligible for the winter additional vaccination was 22.0%, up 3.1 percentage points from 18.9% a week earlier on the 28th of last month.
The vaccination rate among residents and workers in infection-vulnerable facilities such as nursing hospitals, nursing homes, mental health promotion facilities, homeless shelters, and facilities for the disabled reached 30.1%, surpassing the 30% mark with a 7.8 percentage point increase from 22.3% a week earlier.
As of two weeks ago on November 21, the additional winter vaccination rate for those aged 60 and over increased by 4.7 percentage points, and the vaccination rate for those related to infection-vulnerable facilities rose by 12.5 percentage points.
Earlier, the government began additional winter vaccinations on October 11 targeting the elderly aged 60 and over, immunocompromised individuals, and vulnerable groups such as residents of nursing hospitals and facilities. From October 27, the vaccination target was expanded to adults aged 18 and over.
However, due to fatigue from repeated vaccinations, the vaccination rate has been slow to rise. As concerns grew over the spread of a winter resurgence, the government started operating a 'focused vaccination period' from the 21st of last month, allowing vaccinations on-site without prior reservations. The health authorities plan to raise the vaccination rate among those aged 60 and over to 50% and among those related to infection-vulnerable facilities to 60% over four weeks until the 18th of this month.
However, at the current rate of increase, achieving these targets seems difficult. Especially since November 24, the interval for additional winter vaccinations was shortened from 4 months to 3 months based on the previous vaccination or infection date, increasing the total number of eligible recipients and temporarily lowering the vaccination rate. Currently, the additional vaccination rate among all eligible individuals aged 18 and over stands at only 8.3%.
Health authorities emphasize that the COVID-19 resurgence cannot yet be considered to have plateaued, urging close analysis of the epidemic situation and continuous thorough preparation in quarantine and medical care.
Jung Ki-seok, Chair of the National Infectious Disease Crisis Response Advisory Committee and Head of the COVID-19 Special Response Team, stated, "Due to seasonal factors and waning immunity over time, the number of severe and critical COVID-19 patients is still increasing," adding, "Vaccination is more important than ever, so a comprehensive, government-wide effort is needed to increase vaccination among vulnerable groups at high risk of severe illness and death."
He also cited achieving the winter additional vaccination targets set by health authorities (50% for those aged 60 and over, 60% for infection-vulnerable facilities) as a condition for lifting the indoor mask mandate. Chair Jung said, "If vaccination coverage is sufficient and hidden infections gradually lead to natural immunity, the day to lift the indoor mask mandate may come sooner than expected."
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