'A twindemic of the flu and Covid would be disastrous'

On Tuesday, the Korean government started to administer an improved Covid-19 vaccine targeting the Omicron variant.

Moderna’s bivalent vaccine is 69 percent more effective against the BA.5 subvariant of the Omicron strain.

People at a higher risk, including those aged over 60, are eligible to be vaccinated. People aged over 19 and under 60 are also able to get the shot if they want through the no-show vaccine system.

The BA.5 targeting bivalent Covid-19 vaccine and influenza vaccine can be given on the same day.

Still, the injection sites for each shot should be different. For example, if you get the Covid vaccine in your left arm, the influenza vaccine should be on the right side.

When vaccinations began, the reservation rate for the new vaccine stood at just 1 percent, with the figure for people aged over 60 at only 3.3 percent.

Experts say that this is probably because the spread of Covid-19 has slowed and people eligible for vaccinations have already contacted the virus. Even if people are infected, they’re showing mild symptoms. Apparently, people consider the vaccine unnecessary.

#what's_the_point?

“Another Omicron-specific booster will not prevent you from contracting the virus. I caught Covid on the very day I got the third shot.”
“People who did not get any vaccines already show only mild symptoms.”

#get_the_shot
“Seasonal influenza has started to spread. A twindemic of the flu and Covid would be disastrous.”
“The decreased number of confirmed cases of Covid is the result of vaccination.”

#here_we_go_again
“The vaccine is to prevent people from contacting Covid. The BA.1 variant has already spread. Getting the shot for the variant? It’s nonsense.”
“What about the side effects? Did they really prove that it’s okay to get the influenza and Covid shots at the same time?”

BY KIM AH-YOUNG, BY HAN HYE-RIM [han.hyerim1@joongang.co.kr]