President Moon Jae-in and his wife were also vaccinated against the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) with the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine, but experts point out that once accumulated distrust will not disappear easily.
One erroneous claim that the measles vaccine (MMR) causes autism, spreading fear of the vaccine, led to a drop in vaccination rates and a recurrence of measles. The paper has been withdrawn, but this claim is still presented as a basis for rejection of the vaccine.
Experts stressed that caution should be taken to ensure that the Corona 19 vaccine does not follow the same train as the measles vaccine. In particular, it is pointed out that the AstraZeneca vaccine should not be a subject of controversy for political reasons rather than scientific grounds.
However, the AstraZeneca vaccine has already been politicized in Korea. Depending on the political orientation, there was also a difference in the reliability of the Corona 19 vaccine by developer. As a result of a poll conducted by Gallup Korea on February 23-25, targeting 1,004 people aged 18 and over nationwide, the reliability of the AstraZeneca vaccine among the progressives was 60%, but only 43% were moderate and 39% paid.
The acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccine also differed according to political tendencies. In a survey conducted by the Korea Development Institute (KDI) on 2,000 men and women of adults, 83% of them said they would get the vaccine, but only 47% of them responded to the conservative tendency.
Such public opinion seems to have an effect on the Corona 19 vaccine vaccination rate as well. This is because the consent rate of those who are 65 years of age or older has greatly decreased. According to the Corona 19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, 28,365 people, 76.9% of the 375,061 people who have been hospitalized and admitted to nursing hospitals and nursing facilities, etc., starting from the 23rd, agreed to the vaccination. The consent rate for vaccination under the age of 65 at the same facility was 93.7%.
Corona 19 vaccination strategy is going with politics
On the 19th, Dr. Man-ki Song, Deputy Secretary General of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) Youth Doctor’s YouTube broadcast’Corona Fighters Live’ (Copara)“I have to be extremely careful about the controversy or controversy over the vaccine, but I am sorry that the AstraZeneca vaccine is being controversial for political reasons.”
Dr. Song said he was “frustrated” about the safety controversy surrounding the AstraZeneca vaccine. The reason why the AstraZeneca vaccine is controversial in Europe is also because of politics. The conflict between the UK and the EU was expressed by the AstraZeneca vaccine due to’Brexit’. AstraZeneca, a British pharmaceutical company, developed a COVID-19 vaccine with Oxford University.
Dr. Song said, “As the British Prime Minister promoted that Brexit was good, one of the reasons was the Corona 19 vaccine. They said they were getting better vaccination compared to other European countries, and the distribution of the AstraZeneca vaccine was also faster.” “As other European countries were unable to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, the backlash intensified. “The war between the EU and Britain caused by Brexit has shifted to vaccines.”
Dr. Song said, “In Germany, 8% of the AstraZeneca vaccination subjects over the age of 65 were incorrectly reported as having an efficacy of 8% in those over 65 years of age, which was controversial. Some countries, including Germany and France, said they would not get the AstraZeneca vaccine to those over the age of 65. “The politics and the COVID-19 vaccination strategy have become a form of going together.”
As the AstraZeneca vaccine became a tool for the political struggle, they were sad that it was in a difficult situation to restore credibility.
Dr. Song said, “If scientific data on the efficacy and protective effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine are accumulated in the UK, the acceptance can increase significantly.” Even if you provide scientific evidence, you may end up in a situation where you don’t trust.”
Dr. Song said, “How much effort has been made to prove that MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) is not related to autism? Even if I present scientific data, I don’t believe it.”
More scientific data than conspiracy theory… Corona 19 vaccine safety proven
Regarding the controversy that the AstraZeneca vaccine induces blood clots, he pointed out that “it appears to be a common blood clot, not because of the vaccine, but it aggravated the situation when the media reported that it was caused by the vaccine.”
He said that the degree to which adverse reactions are felt after vaccination is subjective and may vary depending on the medical environment of each country. Dr. Song said, “We have conducted clinical trials for the same vaccine in Korea and the United States, and the side effects reports are six times more than in the United States.” said.
“It is unfortunate that the AstraZeneca vaccine is not vaccinated because it has been proven by Real World that it prevents infection at a very high rate and prevents the severity of progression,” Song said.
Dr. Song then emphasized the need to refrain from exhausting debates related to the Corona 19 vaccine. Dr. Song said, “If we start talking about whether or not we have a vaccine advantage, we are wondering when we can secure the best vaccine to form collective immunity,” said Dr. Song. “If Pfizer or Modena starts producing vaccines against the virus variant, it could be delayed in supplying it to other countries.” He said, “If you consider the overall supply, a vaccine diversification strategy is essential.”
He said, “All five types of Corona 19 vaccines (AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Modena, Janssen, NovaVax) selected by our country are safe and effective vaccines, so it is better to get it quickly when there is a chance.” You should look at scientific evidence, such as real data from the UK, rather than the content. The safety has been proven globally, so I hope you believe in the vaccination.”