SEOUL, Oct 23 — Concerns over seasonal flu shots grew further on Friday as deaths after vaccinations swelled to over 30, with health experts split over whether to go ahead with a state-led free shot programme amid a potential “twindemic” of the new coronavirus and the flu.
Yonhap News Agency reported that although no connection has been confirmed between the recent fatalities and vaccines, public fears have been mounting in South Korea over flu shots.
Since the first suspected death from a flu shot was reported last Friday, 32 have died as of midnight on Thursday, up 20 from a day earlier, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
The country’s forensic agency said it has found no direct links between a 17-year-old boy’s death, the first suspected death case after flu vaccination, and a flu shot.
Despite growing flu shot concerns, South Korea’s health authorities have reaffirmed that the state-initiated seasonal flu shot programme will continue despite more suspected deaths, citing no direct link between flu shots and deaths.
The country has been pushing for a free state flu shot scheme to inoculate some 19 million people, including teenagers and senior citizens.
The KDCA said a thorough investigation is under way to find the exact cause of their deaths, as well as epidemiological investigations, including autopsies, into nine cases.
The free vaccination programme — which was expanded this year in an effort to prevent the potential “twindemic” during the winter — was joined by five major drugmakers, including GC Pharma and Ilyang Pharmaceutical Co.
Health experts agree that people should take flu shots before influenza season arrives here since more deaths can occur from serious complications triggered by the flu, such as pneumonia.
About 3,000 deaths related to flu complications are reported annually in South Korea.
Generally, flu season arrives between end-November and December. Considering that flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination, experts here recommend people get flu shots by mid-November.
However, experts are divided on whether people should take flu shots “immediately” at this moment when more suspected deaths are being reported nationwide in a relatively short period of time.
The Korean Medical Association (KMA) said the government should consider postponing the nationwide flu shot programme for about a week, but the Korean Vaccine Society insisted that inoculations need to be continued since no causal links between vaccines and the recent deaths have been confirmed.
The government earlier said it appears that the vaccine itself has no problem because many others who received the same vaccine that the deceased had been inoculated with showed no major abnormal responses.
But with concerns rising over the safety of flu vaccines, the KDCA said it will hold a meeting later Friday to discuss the issue.
— Bernama
