Hong Kong Minister Carrie Ram is receiving a vaccine from Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinobac at a community vaccination center in Hong Kong on the 22nd. AFP=Yonhap News
Ahead of the corona 19 vaccination, politics are fighting a vaccine. He demanded and refuted President Moon Jae-in’s No. 1 vaccination in the name of resolving vaccine anxiety. It is irresponsible and troublesome to raise vaccination anxiety as a political issue, even if it is not enough to gather up the vaccination public opinion.
The first vaccination of the vaccine begins on the 26th for residents and workers under the age of 65 in nursing hospitals and facilities. As the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine, which has not resolved the controversy about its efficacy, the elimination of the elderly over the age of 65 has been controversial. When former Congressman Yoo Seung-min said, “The president must be beaten first to get rid of distrust,” Congressman Chung Cheong-rae refuted and ignited “Is the head of state the subject of an experiment, mocking and contempt of the head of state”. The opposition party then asked if the people who received the vaccination were the subjects of the experiment, and asked for an explanation of the first vaccination.
It is necessary to make a political decision that the President, like other overseas leaders, will take the lead in vaccination to relieve vaccination anxiety. The Blue House also announced on the 22nd, “There is no reason to refuse if there is national distrust.” In the same vein, Chung Eun-kyung, the head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said, “If public unrest increases, celebrity vaccinations may be necessary.”
However, it is not a matter of making it a political issue in a situation where the president’s first vaccination does not have to be the 1st vaccination, and is pushed to the political demand. It only fuels the mistrust of vaccines, making only the people a victim. Even so, only 45.8% of respondents answered’I will be vaccinated when order comes’ in a survey of the Korea Institute of Social Opinion released on the 22nd, but 52.8% answered that they would postpone or reject vaccination.
Vaccine distrust will decrease as the vaccination spreads, but if it continues, it becomes a significant challenge for the formation of population immunity. Even if vaccination is started now, group immunity is possible in November, which is late compared to major countries. If this is delayed, problems may arise in public safety, economy, and national competitiveness. Now that Corona 19 has not calmed down, it is time for the politicians to take the initiative and mobilize their efforts to get a smooth vaccination.
News directly edited by the Hankook Ilbo is also available on Naver.
