독감 백신 접종 후 사망자 총 15명... 정은경 "독감 예방 접종 중단할 상황 아니다"
Our top story this afternoon.
Fifteen people have died in South Korea this past week after getting their seasonal flu shots.
Health authorities are investigating,... but, so far, they are saying there are no confirmed links between the vaccine and the deaths.
They also said the vaccination program will remain in place.
Han Seong-woo reports.
Public health authorities at a Thursday briefing in the National Assembly have said that this year's influenza vaccines are not toxic and that there is no link between them and the recent deaths.
This comes after growing public concerns, as 15 people who got the vaccine died shortly after.
There is no confirmed evidence that the deaths were caused by the vaccine, and some of the people who died had underlying health conditions.
Anaphylactic shock, a serious allergic reaction that can occur after vaccination, was initially suspected on Wednesday as a possible reason for two of the deaths.
But after a thorough review, health officials reported that the likelihood is very low.
South Korea will continue to distribute flu vaccines and conduct further epidemiological investigations.
The government is providing flu shots to the young and to senior citizens free of charge to reduce the burden on hospitals this winter amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over 8 million people have received shots so far under the state-run program.
Han Seong-woo, Arirang News.
