83 people reported death after flu vaccine … “72 people have very low causality”

Health and Welfare Minister Park Neung-hoo visits a hospital in Sejong City on the afternoon of the 27th to get vaccinated against influenza (flu). Yunhap news

With more than 80 deaths reported after being vaccinated against influenza (flu) this year, health officials determined that the causality between vaccination and death was low for 72 of them. Health authorities plan to continue vaccinating against influenza.

According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on day 31, a total of 83 cases were reported as adverse reactions after vaccination at 0:00 am the day after starting the ‘2020- influenza vaccination. 2021 ‘. At 0:00 am on the 29th, 11 people increased from 72 people. Of the 83 reported deaths, 46 were men and 37 women. The most common age group was 37 in their 70s, followed by 34 in their 80s, 8 in their 60s and 4 in their 60s. 71 cases were over 70 years old, which represents 85.5% of the total of deaths. By region, 13 in Seoul, 12 in Gyeonggi and 12 in Gyeongnam.

Vaccination status by influenza vaccination goal. [질병관리청]

The death reports were concentrated in week 19 to 25 of the third week of October. From the 19th to the 25th, free vaccines began for people aged 70 and over. A death report was filed before the 19th, but 59 reports were filed from the 19th to the 25th. From the 26th to 30th, 23 deaths were reported. Regarding the time elapsed between vaccination against influenza and death, 50 cases (60.2%) were more than 48 hours. There were 13 cases (15.7%) that died within 24 hours of vaccination.

The Agency for Disease Control and Prevention held a rapid response meeting for the vaccination damage investigation team on the 30th of last month to review one additional death case. This case of death did not correspond to anaphylaxis, acute symptomatic after vaccination against influenza. There were no adverse reactions even from those who received the vaccine of the same serial number at the same medical institution on the same date. The disease agency explained that the causality between death and vaccination is very low. An epidemiological investigation is underway on 11 additional death cases from 29-30. Of the 83 deaths, 40 have undergone autopsies and a further 10 cases, including 33 without autopsy, confirm the progress of the autopsy.

The Agency for Disease Control and Prevention said, “The causality between death and vaccination was very low in the cases reviewed thus far, so it was determined that it was not a situation to consider retesting the vaccine or suspend the national vaccination project.

Reporter Shim Seok-yong [email protected]