The medical community has delivered the recommended list of priority groups for Covid-19 vaccination to the health authorities.

The Korean Medical Association (KMA) said on Thursday that it has sent the priority recommendation for Covid-19 vaccination to Health and Welfare Minister, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Commissioner, and Prime Minister to help Korean people get vaccinated smoothly at various medical institutions.

The group emphasized that the government should establish any process, procedure, or action plan on comprehensive, detailed, and practical issues with the KMA first and reflect them on the government policy. KMA represents about 130,000 doctors in Korea.

When determining the criteria for vaccination priorities, the government should consider high-risk patients, maintain the healthcare system and other social infrastructure, people with a high risk of transmission, and those with an increased risk of exposure to the virus, the KMA said.

Top priority groups for vaccination include people living in group facilities for the elderly, people with chronic illnesses and seniors aged 65 or more, people at risk of severe diseases, workers at high-risk medical institutions, people at risk of contact with the virus at medical institutions and those transferring Covid-19 patients, chronic illness patients aged 64 or under, the disabled, group residents, and people who are expected to contact with Covid-19 patients closely.

However, the government should restrict a vaccine's inoculation with insufficient verification of the efficacy and safety in high-risk older adults, the KMA said.

The KMA’s recommendation also included doctors’ opinions on precautions in the vaccine distribution, safety education for healthcare professionals’ vaccination, reimbursement rates for vaccination at private medical institutions, and compensation plans for adverse reactions.