[Asia Economy Reporter Byeon Seon-jin] COVID-19 vaccination for infants and toddlers aged 6 months to 4 years will begin on the 13th.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for infants and toddlers, which was approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in November last year, will be used for the vaccination. This vaccine has been authorized and approved by major drug regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). All infants and toddlers in the specified age group are eligible for vaccination, but it is strongly recommended for high-risk groups such as immunocompromised individuals, patients with chronic lung or heart diseases, and those with severe cerebral palsy. The vaccination will be administered three times at intervals of 8 weeks (56 days).
The COVID-19 vaccination target, which was previously for those aged 5 years and older, has now been expanded to include infants and toddlers. The KDCA explained that although the risk of COVID-19 is lower in infants and toddlers compared to adults, it is higher than in adolescents, which is why the vaccination opportunity has been expanded. According to KDCA statistics, among patients aged 17 and under hospitalized due to COVID-19 from November to December last year, 51% (3,401 individuals) were aged 0-4 years, and 25.1% (1,679 individuals) were aged 5-11 years. The COVID-19 mortality rate per 100,000 people is also higher in the 0-4 age group at 1.49, compared to 1.05 in the 5-9 age group and 0.54 in the 10-19 age group.
Most countries implementing vaccination for infants and toddlers, such as the United States, Canada, Japan, and Singapore, vaccinate the entire age group. Clinical trials involving 4,526 infants and toddlers in the United States showed mostly mild side effects such as injection site pain and fatigue.
Vaccinations can be administered at about 840 locations, including tertiary hospitals and general hospitals. The list of medical institutions providing vaccinations can be checked on the COVID-19 vaccination website. ‘Same-day vaccination,’ which requires contacting the medical institution and registering on the list, is available from this day, and ‘advance reservations,’ which have been accepted since the 30th of last month, can be received starting from the 20th. As of midnight on the 10th, 886 advance reservations had been completed. When vaccinating infants and toddlers, a guardian or legal representative must accompany them to complete the preliminary examination form and other procedures.
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