Over 30% of 16-17 years old make reservation for COVID-19 vaccine

By Lee Hyo-jin

Over 30 percent of eligible recipients among teenagers aged 16 and 17 have made an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccination during the first two days of their reservation period, against earlier expectations that many parents would be hesitant to have their children vaccinated.

The government began to receive the reservations for those born between 2004 and 2005, from 8 p.m., Tuesday.

As of Thursday, around 300,000 out of 900,000 eligible recipients, or 33 percent, have made an appointment for a shot, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

The reservation rate is expected to increase as it will run through Oct. 29. The teenagers will be administered with a Pfizer vaccine beginning Oct. 18. Appointments for those aged between 12 and 15 can be made from Oct. 18 through Nov. 12.

The 33 percent is a high figure considering that the government did not “strongly recommend” teens to be vaccinated, as it had done for adults aged over 18.

“For children who are not chronically ill, the benefits of the vaccine don't far outweigh the potential risks,” the KDCA said earlier.

But the health authorities strongly recommended children with underlying health issues such as diabetes, chronic lung or kidney diseases, or immuno-compromising condition to receive the vaccine.

It was also expected that many parents would be hesitant to vaccinate their children due to concerns over possible side effects such as heart inflammation. Vaccination of minors requires the consent of a parent or legal guardian.

Medical experts view that the higher-than-expected participation rate is attributable to concerns over possible infections at schools.

“Children aged 16 and 17 will become second and third grade students in high school next year, and they would have to spend longer hours in schools and cram institutes,” said Chon Eun-mi, a professor of respiratory medicine at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital. “The fact that high school seniors have already received the dose may also have encouraged them to make a reservation.”

Earlier in August, the government administered the Pfizer vaccine to 440,000 high school seniors. Of them, 15 cases of vaccine-induced heart inflammationwere reported as a side effect, but they all recovered, according to the KDCA.

Meanwhile, the government has decided to add “menstrual irregularities” as a separate category in its vaccine side effect report system in October.

A growing number of women have reportedly suffered from menstrual problems after getting the vaccine, but they had to report the condition under the “others” category.

KDCA chief Jeong Eun-kyeong confirmed the plan during a National Assembly audit, Wednesday.

When Rep. Kang Sun-woo of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea pointed out that the KDCA has not been actively responding to the concerns of women about menstrual problems, Jeong said, “We will monitor the current situation and conduct research with experts on causal links between the condition and the vaccine.”