Health

Korea Vaccine recalls 615,000 doses of flu vaccines

615,000 doses of flu vaccines will be recalled. / YonhapKorea's drug safety agency said Friday it has ordered Korea Vaccine to recall 615,000 doses of flu vaccines.The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety issued the recall after it confirmed white particles were found in flu vaccines in the public health center in Yeongdeok, a county located about 350 kilometers southeast of Seoul.The ministry said white particles appeared to be protein and it believed that the efficacy and safety of vaccines were not compromised, but Korea Vaccine, the maker of the vaccines, has decided to voluntarily recall them.The vaccines were refrigerated throughout the entire distribution process, according to the ministry.The ministry said 17,812 people were injected with the vaccines that are subject to the recall. (Yonhap)

Calls growing to subdivide COVID-19 social distancing levels

Health authorities carry out COVID-19 testing at a high school in Daejeon, Friday, after confirmation of several infections among students there the previous day. / YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeHealth experts are raising calls for subdividing the government's three-tier social distancing scheme, aimed at stemming the spread of COVID-19, saying that the standardized three-tier system has made it difficult to respond to the virus situation flexibly.The government adopted the three-tier social distancing scheme on June 28, and the nation is now under Level 2.The government will announce a decision, Sunday, on whether to extend Level 2 guidelines that have been in place across the nation since late August, after monitoring the post-Chuseok holiday virus situation until the weekend.According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the nation added 54 cases of the coronavirus, including 38 local infections, for Thursday, raising the total caseload to 24,476.The nation has reported fewer than 100 virus cases for the second straight day, but health authorities are on high alert over

Gov't push with anti-abortion laws triggers opposition movement online

Activists cheer outside the Constitutional Court in Seoul after its ruling that the current anti-abortion laws are unconstitutional on April 11, 2019. Korea Times file By Kim Se-jeong The Korean government's current focus on abortion laws has triggered women here to launch an online movement under the hashtag #IHadAnAbortion.“I had an abortion. Because it is a crime in Korea, I never talked in public about how I dealt with my unwanted pregnancy and what I had to endure after having the abortion. Now I will do so without hesitation! #IHadAnAbortion” Lee Lang, an independent music singer-songwriter, wrote on Twitter recently in Korean. Lee-Kil Bora, a movie director, also tweeted, “I also had an abortion. It's 2020. Are you still talking about abortion as a crime? I send my support to those who have had a similar experience. #IHadAnAbortion.”Many other women also came forward on social media talking about their experiences and condemning the government's recent move.

Gov't culls 1,500 pigs over African swine fever fears

Government officials cull pigs at a farm in Hwacheon, Gangwon Province, Friday, after African swine fever cases were confirmed. YonhapSouth Korea said Friday it has completed the culling of pigs at a farm that was confirmed to be infected with African swine fever (ASF) and neighboring farms after the first outbreak of the animal disease since October 2019. The country culled some 1,500 pigs within a 10-kilometer radius of the infected farm, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.Three pigs were found dead at a farm in Gangwon Province late Thursday, and test results showed that they were infected with the deadly animal disease. The infected farm had been raising some 940 pigs.The country issues a special 48-hour travel ban on livestock-related facilities in Gyeonggi and Gangwon Province, effective of 5:00 a.m.Last year, ASF swept through pig farms in northern regions covering Gyeonggi and Gangwon Provinces, prompting authorities to cull about 400,000 pigs nationwide as part of preventive measures. A total of 14 farms were infected.Although no new ASF cases h

Virus cases stay below 100 for second day

A woman wearing a face mask as a precaution against the coronavirus, crosses a bridge at Cheonggye stream in downtown Seoul, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. APSouth Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed below 100 for the second straight day Friday, with health authorities on alert over a possible spike in infections following the Chuseok holiday.The country added 54 more COVID-19 cases, including 38 local infections, raising the total caseload to 24,476, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).Daily infections bounced back to 114 on Wednesday after rising by double digits the previous six days. But the daily cases fell back to double digits on Thursday. Health authorities have warned that the country could see an uptick in COVID-19 cases after the five-day Chuseok holiday that ran through Sunday.The government urged people to stay home during the fall harvest holiday, but around 30 million people are estimated to have traveled across the nation to visit their family members and relatives during the holiday. Adding to concerns of the government, Korea is set t

Updates on COVID-19 cases in Korea

Outbreaks feared to continue after Chuseok

People in Daejeon wait outside a health clinic for COVID-19 testing on Thursday. YonhapBy Kim Se-jeongKorea's daily COVID-19 total was 69 on Wednesday, returning to double digits after spiking over 100 the previous day.While many people began showing relief that more mass infections following the Chuseok holiday may no longer be a worry, several medical experts, including Dr. Kim Woo-joo from Korea University Guro Hospital in Seoul, said infections linked to the holiday have started and will continue.“The seed has been planted for a quiet spread of the virus during the five-day long weekend,” Kim said, adding that daily case totals will increase in the coming days. “An average incubation period for COVID-19 is five days and it will take another seven to 10 days for people to take the test and get the result.” The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) Thursday confirmed new COVID-19 cases involving seven family members, including children, in Daejeon. They all traveled to a family burial site in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province, on Oct. 1 and met

Vowing support for social workers

President Moon Jae-in speaks from Cheong Wa Dae during a virtual meeting with employees at public social services agencies, Thursday. Moon said the government will protect and support social workers who provide care services for children, the disabled and people with long-term health problems, adding that welfare and social safety nets are becoming more important due to the aging and polarization of society, especially in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-seok

Korea's oldest doctor dies at 94

By Bahk Eun-jiHan Won-joo, director of internal medicine at Magnus Rehabilitation and Nursing Hospital, who was 94 years old and cared for patients until the last minute, died of chronic disease on Sept. 30, according to her bereaved family, Thursday.Han Won-ju /YonhapHan was the oldest active-duty doctor in Korea who treated patients at the Magnus Rehabilitation and Nursing Hospital in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, until April.In her mid-80s, Han began working at a nursing hospital and took care of about 10 patients daily until this April as her own health deteriorated. “It seems like my shoulders all of a sudden collapsed when Han, who was the spiritual support of all the staff, passed away,” an official at Magnus Nursing Hospital said. “Our patients were also sad and regretful.”The staff at the hospital called her “President,” as a mark of respect for her ceaseless efforts as a doctor.Born to parents who were both doctors and Korean independence activists, Han Gyu-sang and Park Deok-sil, she graduated from Kyungsung Women's School of Medicine, t

Virus cases fall back to double digits; potential spike still worrisome

A South Korean citizen headed to Japan self-checks at Incheon International Airport, Thursday, with documents including a medical certificate that proves him tested negative on COVID-19 examination. An agreement between South Korean and Japan to exempt visitors to both countries with business purposes from a 14-day self-quarantine begins Thursday. YonhapSouth Korea's daily new infections rose by double digits on Thursday, while the country is still worried over a possible resurgence of new infections after a long holiday.The country added 69 COVID-19 cases, including 60 local infections, raising the total caseload to 24,422, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The country's new COVID-19 cases had risen by double digits for six consecutive days since last Friday, but bounced back to 114 on Wednesday.Health authorities have warned that the country could see an uptick in COVID-19 cases after the five-day Chuseok holiday that ran through last Sunday.Health authorities are especially concerned that asymptomatic patients could have spread the virus during t