Korean Medical Association President Choi Dae-zip suggested that President Moon Jae-in receive a Covid-19 vaccination to alleviate public anxiety over Covid-19 vaccines.

On his social media post on Wednesday, Choi cited a man in his 50s who died on Wednesday morning after getting an AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday. The man, staying at a nursing hospital, had comorbidities including diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

Choi also mentioned a patient in his or her 60s at a nursing hospital in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, who died on Wednesday morning after showing high fever and systemic pain on Sunday, following the injection of AstraZeneca’s vaccine on Saturday.

“We can call them Covid-19 vaccine-related deaths because there was a temporal sequence and a temporal proximity between vaccination and death, although causality between vaccination and death has not been identified,” Choi said. He made it clear that Covid-19 vaccine-related deaths were different from “deaths caused by Covid-19 vaccination.”

As the causality between vaccination and death has not been determined, the authorities should closely investigate the two cases' clinical data. If necessary, they should perform an autopsy, Choi said.

Choi claimed that because the government failed to secure vaccines early, AstraZeneca’s vaccines and Pfizer vaccines are available for 750,000 people and 60,000 people, respectively, by the end of March. “The supply is very short, but vaccinations in March are important because the government should enhance public trust in the vaccination program in terms of safety, efficacy, and speed,” he said.

As he had expected, Korea reported two deaths related to AstraZeneca’s vaccine on Wednesday alone, which could spark vaccine scare significantly, Choi went on to say. “When the public fears over Covid-19 vaccination escalate in the first and second week of the vaccination program because of vaccine-related deaths and reports of serious side effects, the state leader can receive the shot to relieve the vaccine scare,” Choi said.

“As President Moon Jae-in is aged over 65, he is not eligible for AstraZeneca’s vaccine. So, he can get a Pfizer vaccine in a few days and help fight the public anxiety caused by vaccination-related deaths and serious side effects,” he proposed.

He also advised people with old age or chronic diseases, saying they should closely monitor their physical condition for at least three days after the vaccination. If any specific symptoms occur, they should notify their doctors or visit a nearby emergency center, he recommended.

“For people who cannot monitor their conditions, guardians or supervisors should observe them closely for three days after the vaccination,” he added.