Number of South Korean Residents Died After Flu Vaccination Increases

At least 13 South Koreans have died after receiving flu vaccine shots in recent days, according to official state media reports and local media. This situation raises concerns about the safety of vaccines, even though authorities rule out the link between vaccine safety and human deaths after vaccines.

Health authorities on Wednesday said they had no plans to suspend a free flu vaccine injection program of about 19 million people after a preliminary investigation of the six fatalities found no direct link to the victims' deaths from the vaccine.

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No toxic substances are found in vaccines. At least five of the six people investigated had an underlying illness, officials said.

Officials have reported nine people died after getting the flu shot. Yonhap news agency reported four other people died on Thursday.

The fatalities, including a boy aged 17 years and a man in his 70s, came just a week after the free flu vaccination program for teenagers and the elderly had restarted. The program was suspended for three weeks after it was found that about 5 million doses, which need to be refrigerated, had been exposed to room temperature while being transported to medical facilities.

The flu vaccine in South Korea comes from a variety of sources. South Korean flu vaccine manufacturers include local producers GC Pharma, SK Bioscience, and Ilyang Pharmaceutical Co, along with French pharmaceutical companies Sanofi and Britain's GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). 

South Korean flu vaccine distributors, including LG Chem Ltd and Boryung Biopharma Co. Ltd., which is part of Boryung Pharm Co. Ltd.

GC Pharma, LG Chem, SK Bioscience, and Boryung declined to comment on any deaths after receiving flu shots. Meanwhile, Ilyang Pharmaceutical, Sanofi, and GSK could not be reached for comment.

South Korea has extended its seasonal vaccine program this year to ward off potential complications of the Covid-19 outbreak and reduce the burden on hospitals during winter. Officials say 8.3 million people have been inoculated with the free flu vaccine since the program resumed on October 13, and there have been reports of about 350 cases of adverse reactions to the vaccine.

The highest number of deaths related to seasonal flu vaccination was six in 2005, according to the Yonhap news agency. Officials say it is difficult to make comparisons with previous years because more people are taking the vaccine this year.

The Difference Between Corona Virus vs Norovirus, Which Is More Dangerous?

Corona virus infection has not been resolved, but the world must be careful in facing the Norovirus attack. Norovirus infection was actually found in Indonesia in early 2019 and the report was published in the Journal of Medical Virology in May 2020.

"Of the 91 stool samples examined, it turned out that 14 samples or 15.4 percent contained norovirus. The research samples carried out in early 2019 were taken from several hospitals in Jambi City," wrote the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Prof. Dr. Dr. Ari Fahrial Syam, SpPD (K) , in a release received by detikcom.

Research on Norovirus was carried out by Dr. Juniastuti, et al, from the Institute of Tropical Disease, Airlangga University. With this case, what is the difference between the Corona virus and the Norovirus? Which is more dangerous?

Quoted from the journal What Makes a Foodborne Virus: Comparing Coronaviruses with Human Noroviruses, the Corona virus and the Norovirus equally affect human life. Foodborne refers to food that has been contaminated with bacteria or viruses that pose a risk to human health if eaten.

Here are the differences between Corona virus vs Norovirus:

1. Durability

In the journal written by Dan Li, et al., The Corona virus has a weaker resistance than Norovirus. Norovirus defenses better against common disinfectant practices.

These hygiene practices include the use of alcohol, chlorine and ultraviolet on food, hands and eating utensils. This practice is commonly applied before eating to maintain cleanliness.

2. Opportunities for spreading through food

This article, published through the US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, discusses the possibility of the Corona virus being a foodborne virus. Corona can indeed survive in food and packaging without losing its infectious ability.

As a result, the chances of spreading the Coronavirus through food (foodborne transmission) are lower than the Norovirus . The Corona virus spreads through droplets and possibly through the air, so it is advisable to wear masks as a preventive measure.

3. There is no evidence of the spread of the Corona virus through food

In the article it is explained, Corona virus infection has never been found related to food consumption. In addition, the Corona virus has never been detected through food.

But regarding this fact, Dan Li, et al, stated not to let down their guard against the Corona virus. The virus is relatively new, so it is possible to discover new things related to Corona.

4. Different deployment routes

The Corona virus infects the respiratory system differently from the Norovirus which attacks the human digestive organs. Norovirus follows the fecal-oral transmission route before entering the body.

Until now there has been no evidence that the Corona virus follows fecal-oral transmission such as Norovirus or other foodborne viruses. This route of distribution will be explained through the findings of further research.

5. Coronavirus Vs Norovirus, which is more dangerous?

Corona virus and Norovirus infections are both at risk of harming humans even though they have different methods. Corona virus passes through the respiratory system, while Norovirus passes through food and digestive organs.

Therefore, everyone is obliged to take preventive measures by always maintaining cleanliness and strengthening the immune system. For the prevention of the Coronavirus, the defense is added to the use of masks every day while on the move.