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More efforts needed to ensure vaccine safety
Concerns are growing over the administration of COVID-19 vaccines here after two people died following inoculation. Yet people don't have to overreact to the fatalities, as this will only hamper the country's efforts to achieve herd immunity by November.
On Wednesday, the two patients from geriatric hospitals in Gyeonggi Province died after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine. Their deaths marked the first such cases since South Korea started its vaccination program Feb. 26. One patient, 63, died four days after being vaccinated; the other in his 50s died a day after.
Both patients, who were among the priority inoculation groups, had underlying conditions including heart and cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes and stroke. The older patient had high fever and full-body pain symptoms before his death, while the other suffered from heart failure and difficulty breathing.
The health authorities are now conducting an epidemiological investigation into the cases to find the exact causes of their deaths. A speedy and thorough investigation is required to check if they had anything to do with the vaccine. Transparency is also a must to clear away any suspicions about vaccine safety. If the authorities fail to do this, the public will have greater anxiety about getting inoculated.
As Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) Commissioner Jeong Eun-kyeong pointed out, there is no need to avoid vaccine shots. "We believe that people may feel anxious about the vaccination after hearing of the fatalities, but no deaths have been confirmed to have a direct link between vaccines from AstraZeneca or Pfizer," she said. Her remarks were intended to ease the people's fears and emphasize the safety and efficacy of the vaccines.
But worries still remain that the vaccines may pose a serious health risk to those with pre-existing conditions. That's why the authorities and medical workers should take extra care with such patients to prevent any unpredictable mishaps. This is not to say that the authorities should stop vaccinating people with underlying diseases. But doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers should make more efforts to avoid further deaths after inoculation.
The authorities have stressed that there are no problems with the vaccines because they have been approved by the World Health Organization and the health authorities in the U.S., the U.K. and many other countries. There have so far been no confirmed cases that show a direct link between coronavirus vaccines and death. But policymakers should do more to enhance the public's trust in the vaccines which holds the key to successful inoculation.
The public, on its part, should not be swayed by fake news and disinformation about the vaccines. Some "anti-vaxxers" are spreading rumors that COVID-19 vaccines could modify people's genetic code or lead to dementia. The authorities should crack down on those trying to stoke vaccine fears. All members of our society must join hands to defeat the virus.
