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The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said Saturday that a total of 83 people, most of them elderly, had died after being administered with a seasonal flu vaccine.
The deaths have stoked public anxiety over the safety of flu shots, but the KDCA said the deaths of 72 of the people had very limited relation to the vaccinations ― the other 11 cases are currently under investigation.
Of the total, 37 were in their 70s, followed by 34 aged 80 or older, eight under 60 and four in their 60s, the KDCA said.
The health authorities have repeatedly said they have found no direct link between the flu shots and the deaths, urging people to get flu vaccinations before the onset of winter amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Public anxiety has heightened over the safety of the vaccines after some ― part of the country's free inoculation program ― were exposed to room temperature during distribution. The authorities, however, said there were no safety issues.
So far, more than 11.5 million South Koreans have received the free flu shot, accounting for 60.9 percent of the vaccination rate of about 19 million people, including teenagers and senior citizens.
Generally, flu season arrives between the end of November and December. Considering that flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination, experts recommend people get the shots by mid-November. (Yonhap)
