Seoul: Five people have died after getting flu shots in South Korea last week, raising concerns over the vaccine’s safety just as the seasonal inoculation programme is expanded to head off potential COVID-19 complications.
Authorities says that “There is no reason to believe the deaths were linked to the vaccine but an investigation, including post mortems, was underway”. “It makes it hard for us to put out a categorical statement,” Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip told about the deaths, which include a 17-year-old boy and a man in his 70s.
Officials last month announced plans to procure 20% more flu vaccines for the winter than the previous year to inoculate 30 million people in a bid to prevent the health system being overloaded by patients with flu and COVID-19 exposure.
Boosting public trust in vaccines has become a major global challenge this year, as some countries rush to approve experimental COVID-19 vaccines before full safety and efficacy studies have been completed.
South Korea’s flu vaccines are supplied by different drugmakers, including LG Chem Ltd and Boryung Biopharma Co. Ltd., a unit of Boryung Pharm Co. Ltd.
Post Your Comments