On the 18th (local time), at a vaccination center in the 3rd district of Paris, France, medical personnel are registering residents who will receive Pfizer’s Corona 19 vaccine. AP=Yonhap News
Should the elderly be given a vaccine for the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) first? As cases in Norway and Israel die after vaccination, some point out that the criteria for priority vaccination should be refined. Experts also suggest that elderly people are given priority, but those with severe underlying diseases need to be excluded. President of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Chung Eun-kyung said, “If you are very old and in poor physical condition, you need to consider whether you will be eligible for vaccination.”
①Before vaccination, the doctor must be judged
According to the medical community on the 19th, people living in group facilities such as nursing hospitals or nursing homes are ranked first in the corona19 vaccination. However, there are also some voices that even the first candidates should be removed from the priority vaccination if the risk of vaccination is high.
Eun-mi Cheon, a professor of respiratory medicine at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, said, “It is medically judged that the dawn is short, so patients with very poor health can suffer more damage than the benefits of vaccination.” The professor also said, “There is room for controversy over whether all residents of nursing hospitals must be vaccinated with the Corona 19 vaccine.”
For example, patients who are hospitalized in a nursing hospital with cancer spreading throughout the body and unable to use their hands do not have a reason to receive the Corona 19 vaccine. Even if there are relatively mild side effects such as fever and diarrhea after vaccination, it can be a big shock to them. It’s okay if you’re healthy, but older people with serious underlying diseases may not be able to overcome the immune response itself.
② Pfizer Moderna only for young people
Norway was the place where the death toll from the COVID-19 vaccination was poured. Of the 42,000 vaccinated people, 33 died, all of which are known to be elderly patients with underlying diseases. Norwegian health officials said, “Death and vaccines are not related,” but domestic experts believe that the association cannot be ruled out. Ki-jong Hong, editor-in-chief of the Korean Vaccine Society (Professor Konkuk University), said, “The number of 33 is more than expected. It is true,” he said. “This should be reflected when establishing a domestic vaccination policy.”
Since all of the Norwegian fatalities were vaccinated by Pfizer, the suggestion that older people should be given a vaccine other than the same gene (mRNA) vaccine, such as Pfizer or Moder, comes out. Chairman Ki-jong Hong said, “The mRNA vaccine causes an immune response more actively. In this case, it increases the effectiveness of the vaccine in healthy people, but it can be a risk factor for people with poor health.”
③ A parental consent procedure is required for vaccination
Some argue that in order to form collective immunity, young people should be vaccinated before the elderly. However, changing the priority of vaccination from the elderly or those with underlying diseases to healthy adults does not fit the purpose of vaccination. Professor Kim Woo-joo said, “The most infected age group is over 50, and the effect of preventing asymptomatic infection with Corona 19 vaccines has not been proven now. It is an urgent need to reduce deaths and prevent overloading the medical system with priority vaccination for the elderly.” .
In the end, it is considered the most realistic way to establish detailed vaccination standards under the principle of preferential vaccination for high-risk groups. First of all, medical staff and staff in group facilities should be vaccinated unconditionally in order to protect themselves. For residents, it is necessary to determine whether to receive vaccination based on medical criteria. Caregivers should be fully informed of the vaccine and consent should be sought. Professor Eun-mi Chun said, “We will be able to obtain the consent of the guardian before vaccination of the patient through various methods such as telephone, video, or mail.”
Lim So-hyung reporter [email protected]
Jinjoo Kim reporter [email protected]
News directly edited by the Hankook Ilbo can also be viewed on Naver.
