FIGURES ON VACCINE SIDE EFFECTS

[Anchor Lead]

Concerns remain high among elderly people about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. Despite public concerns, health authorities say the percentage of side effects from vaccinations among those who are 60 and older was the lowest between February and April.

[Pkg]

Some 33000 people aged 60 and up in South Korea have contracted COVID-19 so far. 1765 among them have died. The mortality rate is about 5 percent, three times higher than the overall fatality rate in the nation. About 27 percent of all coronavirus patients are 60 and older. As many as 95 percent of them had fatal outcomes. The government believes elderly people must get vaccinated as soon as possible to prevent the spread and further damage. An analysis shows that just a single shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine in people aged 60 and up has 86 percent efficacy in preventing the virus two weeks after the inoculation. The analysis has also revealed that the percentage of side effects from vaccination is the lowest among seniors. 0.2 percent among those aged 65 to 74 and 0.1 percent among people who are older than 75. A sharp contrast from the 2.9 percent rate among the younger group, aged 18 to 29.

[Soundbite] Jung Eun-kyeong(KDCA Director) : "An investigation into serious side effects reported so far shows most of them were　presumably caused by comorbidities such as cerebral hemorrhage and sepsis."

Side effects were reported in 0.8 percent of those who received the first dose of the AZ vaccine, 0.1 percent of those who have received the first Pfizer shot, and 0.3 percent among those who have had both doses of the Pfizer vaccine. An analysis on 67 fatalities following vaccination has found no link between reported deaths and vaccines. The median age of those who died after vaccination is 75.9. Each of them had 3.2 illnesses on average.

[Soundbite] Kim June-gone(COVID-19 Vaccination Damage Investigation Taskforce) : "All deaths were highly likely caused by old age, underlying conditions and overall health issues."

Authorities warn against excessive anxiety over vaccination and urged the public to get their shots, as the rate of reported side effects declines one week after vaccination.