Health Authorities Urge Vaccination: "High-Risk Infants and Young Children Face Increased Severe Illness and Death if Infected"

Infant and Toddler Vaccines [Image Source=Yonhap News]

The health authorities have reiterated their call for vaccination participation, stating that high-risk infants and young children have a higher risk of severe illness and death if infected with COVID-19.

According to the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team on the 9th, infants and young children aged 6 months to 4 years ▲have a higher risk of severe illness and death compared to children and adolescents, ▲the period from symptom onset to death is very short, and ▲vaccination is necessary as those with underlying conditions have a higher risk of severe illness and death. The mortality rate per 100,000 confirmed cases for ages 0-4 is 1.49, which is higher than that of ages 5-9 (1.05) and 10-19 (0.54). Additionally, 51% of hospitalized patients under 17 years old are in the 0-4 age group.

The Promotion Team stated that while infants and young children can receive COVID-19 vaccination, it is strongly recommended for high-risk groups. High-risk groups include those using high-dose steroids for more than 14 days, those undergoing chemotherapy for blood cancers, and severely immunocompromised individuals receiving immunosuppressive therapy. Those undergoing bone marrow or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, or chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy, as well as those suffering from chronic lung disease, chronic heart disease, chronic liver disease, or chronic kidney disease are also included.

Major countries such as the United States, Canada, and Japan are also conducting COVID-19 vaccinations for infants and young children. The effectiveness and safety of vaccines for this age group have been proven. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), analysis of children aged 3-5 showed that the infection prevention effect of the vaccine lasts for at least four months after vaccination. Most side effects experienced by vaccinated infants and young children were mild symptoms such as pain at the injection site.

Vaccination for infants and young children began with same-day vaccinations on the 13th of last month, followed by reservation vaccinations on the 20th of the same month. Three primary doses are administered at intervals of 8 weeks (56 days) each. Vaccination sites can be confirmed through the COVID-19 vaccination website, and vaccinations are available at approximately 830 designated entrusted medical institutions, 5 tertiary hospitals, and 63 general hospitals.