Health officials say seniors over 65 can get the AstraZeneca vaccine in the future. First of all, from the end of this month, more than 370,000 elderly people living in nursing hospitals and nursing facilities nationwide will receive the vaccine.
This is Park Soo-jin.
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The Vaccination Specialist Committee recommends vaccinations over the age of 65 and is based on research from the UK and Scotland.
Last month, British health officials surveyed over 150,000 people aged 70 and over, and found that the AstraZeneca vaccine’s preventive effect was up to 73%.
Researchers in Scotland also analyzed the risk of hospitalization over 80 years of age was reduced by 81%.
[홍정익/질병관리청 예방접종기획팀장 : 아스트라제네카 백신의 고령층에 대한 효능 평가에 대한 근거가 충분하다고 판단하여 예방접종을 승인하게 됐습니다.]
As vaccination for the elderly is permitted, the first target to receive the vaccine is about 376,000 patients and workers aged 65 or older in nursing hospitals and nursing facilities.
The government plans to start vaccinations from the end of this month after examining consent for vaccination for a week starting today (11th).
The interval between the first and second doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine has also been increased from the current 8 weeks to 10 weeks.
This is taking into account research findings that the longer the vaccination interval, the greater the prevention effect.
In addition, if the vaccine was confirmed after the first vaccination, it was decided to release the quarantine and get it again, and in the case of an acute severe allergic reaction’anaphylaxis’, the second vaccination was not decided.
In addition, in order to prevent the virus from foreign influx, aviation crew members who frequently come and go abroad also get the vaccine in the second quarter.
The government is expected to announce next week a vaccination plan for 9 million people in the second quarter.
(Video coverage: Kim Min-cheol, Video editing: Jeon Min-gyu, CG: Son Ho-seok)
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