South Korean flu vaccine leaves 9 dead

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Nine people died after getting injected with flu shots in South Korea.
• Based on the preliminary investigation, the vaccine did not contain any toxic substances.
• According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, over 430 people reported having adverse reactions after taking the vaccine.

This past week, nine people passed away after receiving flu shots in South Korea. The incident raised concerns over the drug’s safety as the country launches its annual injection scheme to ward off possible complications from COVID-19.

Just a week since the national vaccine program was rolled out, the implementation was abruptly suspended due to the reported deaths ━ including a teenager and an elderly man (in his 70s) ━ which made headlines in South Korean news outlets.

The start of the vaccine infusion for over 19 million people was postponed following a revelation that around 5 million doses got exposed to room temperature while being transported to a medical facility. Ideally, the stimulus should be preserved in a cool storage.

Despite the fatal outcome, officials decided to resume the program which would be halted again if further investigations would prove that the vaccine is unsafe. Based on preliminary findings, the vaccine did not yield negative results.

Around 8 million people were already given flu vaccine shots since the program resumed on October 13, officials claimed. 

According to Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency chief Jeong Eun-kyeong, 430 people reported experiencing adverse reactions upon taking the shots. The side effects include fever, diarrhea, and allergies.

“We have reviewed whether it is appropriate to continue the vaccination or better to suspend and wait for the results,” health official Kim Joong-gon said during a briefing, adding that they “came to the conclusion that the deaths had no direct relations with the vaccination given the limited data we have now and without detailed post mortem reports.”

On Wednesday alone, five individuals died following their flu shots. Five of the six victims had pre-existing conditions, as Kim shared based on the preliminary investigation.

Health officials claimed that the same vaccine that was administered to other people did not have any toxic substances.

In the past two years, cases of adverse reactions were lower ━ 132 individuals in 2018, and 177 in 2019.

Jeong said that since 2009, 25 people had died after receiving the yearly flu vaccine, and until now, the cause-and-effect is still not confirmed.

This year’s vaccine suppliers include LG Chem Ltd and Boryung Biopharma. LG Chem said it would adhere to the government’s instruction while Boryung has yet to release a comment.

The country has planned to administer the vaccine to 30 million people with the objective of helping the health system from being overwhelmed by flu and COVID-19 patients as the winter season approaches.

Source: News.trust.org