Center takes charge of vaccine side effect cases

The newly-established Compensation & Support Center for Covid-19 Vaccine Injury created at the National Institute of Health in Cheongju, North Chungcheong [YONHAP]

Korea opened a Covid-19 vaccine injury compensation center on Tuesday as access to fourth vaccine doses was widened amid a new wave of the virus.

Previously, compensation for vaccine side effects was managed by the Covid-19 vaccination task force team under the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

The newly-created Compensation & Support Center for Covid-19 Vaccine Injury will take over, the KDCA announced Tuesday. It vowed to increase the number of personnel and build the center's expertise.

Apart from deciding compensation, the center will also provide counseling to patients with post-vaccine reactions.

Health authorities also announced they will expand financial support for vaccination side effects that were difficult to prove were caused by the jabs.

The KDCA said Tuesday that people with diseases that are suspected to be related to Covid vaccination — but haven't been proved — can receive up to 50 million won ($38,150), up from the previous 30 million won.

Compensation for post-vaccine deaths that couldn't be proved was raised from 50 million won to 100 million won.

In addition, the government will give 10 million won to survivors of people who died within 42 days of receiving a Covid vaccine even if the cause of death was not established by a post mortem examination.

Forty-two days is the maximum period for recognizing a connection with vaccination, which was set after consultation with experts such as the Covid-19 vaccine safety committee.

Experts, however, said only a few people will benefit from the government’s expanded compensation scheme.

“It's no use if the government’s acknowledgement criteria for vaccine abnormalities itself is not raised," Kim Woo-joo, a professor of infectious diseases at Korea University Guro Hospital, told the JoongAng Ilbo. "Right now, too few people are recognized for vaccine side effects."

"The screening process for abnormal reactions after vaccination itself needs to be made more transparent," he added.

BY SEO JI-EUN, YI WOO-LIM [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]