Chung Eun-kyung, head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is responding to reporters’ questions after a briefing on cases of adverse reactions reported and investigation progress held at the Chungju Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Chungju, Chungbuk on the afternoon of the 3rd. Cheongju = Yonhap News
Patients in nursing homes who received the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine died one after another on the 3rd. Since the start of the corona vaccination on the 26th of last month, a number of mild side effects have been confirmed, but this is the first time a death has occurred. According to health officials, the dead are men in their 50s and 60s who received the AZ vaccine. A man in his 50s had a heart attack and dyspnea after receiving the vaccination the morning before, and died within a day. A man in his 60s had symptoms such as high fever after receiving the vaccine on the 27th of last month, and died on the day after the vaccination. Both of them are known to have had underlying diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cerebrovascular disease.
The task left to health authorities is a quick and close epidemiological investigation of the link between vaccination and death. If the investigation is delayed or opaque, it can lead to unnecessary distrust of the vaccine. Given that the distribution of false information related to vaccines and political battles in our society still do not stop, the life of this investigation is speed and transparency.
It is also necessary to watch the results of the epidemiological investigation by the authorities without being deceived by uncertain information and becoming anxious. Since vaccination began around the world at the end of last year, there have been deaths after vaccination in several countries, including Norway, Portugal, and the UK, but no case has been confirmed to have a connection between vaccination and death. Experts conclude that the cost of not getting the vaccine is higher than the side effects of the vaccine.
The death toll after AZ vaccination occurred unfortunately at the time when the government was considering permitting vaccination to 650,000 residents aged 65 or older in nursing homes where vaccination was reserved. This is because, as information on AZ vaccination in each country is accumulated, countries such as Germany and France, which have reserved vaccinations for the elderly, have recognized their effectiveness and are changing their policies to allow it. If there is sufficient scientific evidence, there is no reason to delay vaccination in this age group, which is more likely to be severely affected. However, the government should keep in mind that this requires a thorough epidemiological investigation and transparent disclosure of information on death cases after vaccination.
News directly edited by the Hankook Ilbo can also be viewed on Naver.
