South Korea Sees Spike in COVID-19 Cases, Seniors 65 and Over to Receive New COVID-19 Vaccine

Illustration of COVID-19 in South Korea. (Wikimedia Commons/Si Marijuana City)

JAKARTA - About 72 percent of South Koreans aged 65 and older are expected to receive new COVID-19 vaccine shots, an official said.

In response to questions about the government's vaccination plan, an official at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said 71.9 percent of individuals aged 65 and older are expected to receive the latest COVID-19 vaccine once it becomes available, as a surge in new cases is mainly caused by the KP.3 variant, The Korea Times reported on August 26.

New vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax are currently under review for approval by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the official added.

The disease agency also plans to purchase 7.55 million doses of vaccines for the latest COVID wave. The official said the number of vaccines needed was determined based on a July 2023 poll and the number of high-risk individuals.

The official said the agency aims to vaccinate more than 50 percent of the 12.67 million people, including seniors and workers at medical facilities and other high-risk facilities, when the free vaccination program begins in October.

New COVID-19 cases have surged sharply in recent weeks, the agency said. The number of COVID patients being treated at 220 designated hospitals across the country reached 1,464 in the third week of August from 226 in the third week of July, the highest level since the government shifted to an endemic approach in May.

Officials believe the number is likely to continue to rise in the coming weeks as students and many workers return to their regular jobs after the summer break, which usually runs from mid-July to late August.