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At least 13 South Koreans have died after being vaccinated against the flu in recent days, according to authorities and media reports.
Flu shots are free
A fact that raises concern for the safety of vaccines, since 9 deaths were announced yesterday, and this despite the fact that Seoul reassures and excludes any connection of the deaths to the preparations given to them. Health authorities made clear Wednesday that they did not intend to suspend the free vaccination program for 19 million people, as preliminary findings of six deaths were not related to vaccines.
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No toxic substances were found in the vaccines, while in five of the six cases, the patients had underlying illnesses, according to officials. Authorities yesterday reported nine deaths after the vaccination program began, and today the Yonhap news agency reported four more.
The deaths, including that of a 17-year-old boy and a 70-year-old man, were announced just a week after the vaccination program for teens and older adults resumed. The program was suspended for three weeks after it was discovered that around 5 million doses of vaccine, which needed to be cooled, were exposed to room temperature while being transported to a medical facility.
South Korea supplies influenza vaccines from various sources, including manufacturers GC Pharma, SK Bioscience, Ilyang Pharmaceutical Co. (South Korea), Sanofi (France), and Glaxosmithkline (UK). Distributed by LG Chem and Boryung Biopharma Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Boryung Pharm Co. Ltd., among others.
Flu Vaccines Amid Coronavirus
Seoul has decided to extend its flu vaccination program this year to avoid the risk of hospital saturation in the winter amid the coronavirus pandemic. According to the government, 8.3 million people have been vaccinated against the flu for free since the program resumed on October 13. About 350 cases of the vaccine are expected to have side effects. The highest death toll from the flu vaccine so far this year was six in 2005, according to Jonap. However, South Korean health officials say it is difficult to make comparisons with previous years, as many more people get vaccinated this year.
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