SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean authorities said on Sunday they would continue a coronavirus vaccination campaign this week, after deciding to continue using AstraZeneca PLC’s vaccine for all people 30 years or older.
South Korea suspended on Wednesday the delivery of the AstraZeneca shot to people under 60, while Europe reviewed cases of blood clots in adults.
People under 30 are still excluded from the vaccinations resumed Monday because the benefits of the shot do not outweigh the risks for that age group, the Korea Disease Control & Prevention Agency (KDCA) said in a statement.
Three vaccines have reportedly developed blood clots in South Korea, with one case being correlated with the vaccine, Choi Eun-hwa, chairman of the Korean Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, told a news conference.
The case was a type of blood clot that is considered less serious than the type being investigated by European authorities, she said.
For most people, the risks of coronavirus are far worse than the rare possibility of side effects from the vaccines, Choi said, adding that the best way to end the pandemic is to vaccinate anyone who can receive it.
But she said: “The benefits are not that great for those under 30, so we would not recommend the AstraZeneca vaccine.”
The AstraZeneca shot’s benefit-to-risk ratio rises as older people grow as the risk of serious injury from vaccination decreases and admission to the ICU prevented by vaccination increases, according to the Winton Center for Risk and evidence communication from the University of Cambridge.
The drugmaker said his studies found no higher risk for blood clots due to the vaccine, of which millions of doses have been administered worldwide. The World Health Organization has said the benefits outweigh the risks.
Global controversy over the efficacy and side effects of some COVID-19 vaccines has caused delays in South Korea’s vaccination campaign, which began in late February with the goal of achieving herd immunity in November.
The vaccination program for the second term includes teachers for special disabilities and vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities and the homeless, the KDCA said.
Reporting by Josh Smith; Edited by Kim Coghill and William Mallard