Doctors in South Korea call for flu vaccinations to be paused after 25 deaths

[Mary Wilson]

Reuters in Seoul
Thu 22 Oct 2020 07.29 EDT

South Korean officials refused on Thursday to suspend a seasonal influenza inoculation effort, despite growing calls for a halt, including an appeal from a key group of doctors, after the deaths of at least 25 of those vaccinated. Health authorities said they found no direct links between the deaths and the vaccines.

At least 22 of the dead, including a 17-year-old boy, were part of a campaign to inoculate 19 million teenagers and senior citizens for free, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...flu-vaccinations-to-be-paused-after-25-deaths
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South Korea to continue flu vaccinations after 25 deaths trigger calls for a pause

BMJ 2020; 371 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m4116
(Published 23 October 2020)Cite this as: BMJ 2020;371:m4116
Owen Dyer

A campaign aimed at immunising 30 million people against influenza in South Korea will continue despite an unusually high number of deaths in those recently vaccinated, after the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) declined a request from the Korean Medical Association to pause the programme.

“Our team sees low possibility that the deaths …

https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4116

 

[Vibrant62]

Apparently now 32 cases, and not linked to a single flu batch or manufacturer - which begs the question, what is causing this? Coinfection with Covid perhaps or another infection ?. See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-54655278 and https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-...nials-flu-shot

 

[Vibrant62]

Now another report - this time from Bangkok Post (so not two separate reports as yet) citing 48 deaths in this manner but are not being attributed to the vaccine itself. https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2007591/no-link-between-flu-jabs-and-deaths-says-seoul

Jeong said the review had shown no direct link between the flu shots and the 26 deaths that had 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.