⁍ South Koreans who have died after getting flu shots has risen to 48.
⁍ The health authorities said they found no direct link between the deaths and the shots.
⁍ They plan to carry on with the state-run vaccination programme.
– The number of South Koreans who have died after getting flu shots has risen to 48, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Saturday, adding that the vaccines would continue to reduce the chance of having simultaneous epidemics. The health authorities said they found no direct link between the deaths and the shots. They plan to carry on with the state-run vaccination program to try to avoid having to fight both the flu and the coronavirus over the coming winter, Reuters reports. “After reviewing death cases so far, it is not the time to suspend a flu vaccination program since vaccination is very crucial this year, considering … the COVID-19 outbreaks,” said the KDCA director. Jeong said the review had shown no direct link between the flu shots and the 26 deaths that have been investigated. Some 20 initial autopsy results from the police and the National Forensic Service showed that 13 people died of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and other disorders not caused by the vaccination. The death toll among those who have been vaccinated rose by 12 cases from a day earlier to 48 on Saturday. The rising death toll has caused some doctors and politicians to call for a halt to the government campaign to vaccinate about 30 million of the country’s 54 million people.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southkorea-flushot/south-korean-authorities-stick-to-flu-vaccine-plan-after-deaths-rise-to-48-idUSKBN2790G8