Tag: vaccines

It looks like South Korea is having the same problem many other countries are having with vaccine hesitancy:

Deaths following Pfizer jabs are exceeding those after AstraZeneca shots, although experts say that many of the casualties were over the age of 74, with weaker immune systems and pre-existing medical conditions.  

Since the vaccination program began on Feb. 26, a total of 153 cases of death after inoculation had been reported as of Monday, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Pfizer accounted for 93 cases and AstraZeneca 60.  (……….)  

Enthusiasm for the shots isn’t high. As of Monday, the booking rate for Covid-19 vaccinations — the percentage of people in an age group who have made reservations — was only 55.9 percent among people aged 60 to 74, who are eligible for the AstraZeneca vaccine. The booking rate for people between the ages of 60 to 64 was only 47.4 percent.  (……….)

Health authorities, however, explained that none of the deaths reported so far are related to the vaccinations.  

“On the elderly without underlying diseases who died after inoculation, we could find the causes of death through an autopsy, such as cardiac infarction, heart rupture or pulmonary embolism,” an official from the KDCA told the Korea JoongAng Daily.  

“We don’t think there is a meaningful difference [between AstraZeneca and Pfizer in terms of deaths] seeing the situations abroad,” the official added.  

The death rate per 100,000 vaccinated people was similar between Pfizer (2.71 per 100,000 people) and AstraZeneca (2.62 per 100,000 people), and those results were similar to other countries, according to the KDCA.  

For example, in the U.K. where a larger number of inoculations have being done, there were 3.19 deaths per 100,000 people for Pfizer, and 3.29 for AstraZeneca. 

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link.

The Moon administration COVID vaccine plan has fallen apart and they are now looking towards the Biden administration to bail them out from all the criticism they are receiving domestically:

South Korea is “earnestly discussing” forging a swap deal with the United States to secure COVID-19 vaccines, the South Korean foreign minister said Tuesday.

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong revealed the bilateral consultation under way between Seoul and Washington, during a parliamentary session. 

“Currently, (South Korea) is discussing (the potential swap deal) with the U.S. side quite earnestly,” the foreign minister said, responding to a query by Rep. Park Jin of the main opposition People Power Party.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but considering the vaccine hesitancy in the US and the growing stockpiles of vaccines because of it; I would not be surprised if a deal is worked out.

What would be helpful is comparing these number of possible vaccination deaths with statistics from prior years:

South Korea’s public health agency said Saturday that a total of 83 people, most of whom are elderly, died after being administered with a seasonal flu vaccine.

The deaths have stoked public anxiety over the safety of flu vaccines, but the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said the deaths of 72 people have very limited relation with the flu shots. Another 11 cases are currently under investigation.

Of the total, 37 people are in their 70s, followed by 34 people aged 80 or older, eight under 60 and four in their 60s, KDCA said.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

With everyone already scared of the coronavirus now there is a new fear, the flu vaccine:

Public fear is escalating over the safety of the seasonal flu vaccination after a series of deaths among people who had recently received the vaccination, although the health authorities have said there was no connection.

As of 4 p.m., Thursday, the number of deaths nationwide of people who had been vaccinated against the seasonal influenza increased to 25, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). 

An increasing number of elderly people here are expressing concerns over the vaccination as most cases were in this age group, although the KDCA repeated that the deaths were not associated with the flu shots.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but 25 is a lot of people. To put that is perspective that is the amount of people killed by the coronavirus in South Korea since September 30th.