An increasing number of Koreans consider making “vaccine tours” by visiting the U.S. and other countries to receive Covid-19 shots.

However, the government said it could be an unwise decision, drawing the line at taking responsibility for treating adverse events caused by vaccination in foreign countries.

The health authorities pointed out that vaccine tourism could expose people to a higher risk of Covid-19 infection, and it would be difficult to decide who should take final responsibility in the case of showing adverse effects after taking the shots.

Even if people received the first Covid-19 shot in other countries, including the U.S., they would not be able to get the second shot back in Korea as the government has no ways to confirm the initial inoculation officially, according to Bae Kyung-taek, a senior official at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), at an MBC radio talk show on Friday,

"Korea currently confirms about 247 infected people per 100,000 people. However, the U.S. finds some 9,700 Covid-19 patients in the same pool," Bae said. "The death toll is 3.6 per 100,000 people in Korea, but the U.S. toll is113, which implies that visiting the U.S. to receive the vaccine shot could be an undesirable decision due to higher risk of infection."

Bae added that the government could not compensate for those who took Covid-19 vaccines in the U.S. and suffer adverse events.

"The government needs to take care of people who took vaccines in Korea and show adverse events, although such chances are slim," Bae said. "However, the government will not take responsibility for those who received Covid-19 shots in the U.S. and suffer side effects."

Bae went on to say, "People who plan to take the Covid-19 shots overseas have to be quarantined for two weeks after staying a month in that country until late June or so. However, the government will have vaccinated at least 13 million people by the first half of 2021. It might be better to wait a little longer and receive the vaccine here without going abroad.”

Bae said that even those who took the second shots in the U.S. and returned to Korea would have to isolate themselves for weeks. The same rule will be applied to Korean Americans, too.

"Korea has an efficient electronic administration system, providing a digital certificate to those who took vaccines, but the U.S. hands out documents," Bae said. "We will work with the U.S. on this issue, but those who returned to Korea after taking Covid-19 shots in the U.S. would have to follow the self-quarantine rules."

Nor can Koreans receive the first Covid-19 jab in the U.S. and take the next shot back in Korea.

“We have yet to establish the verification system of people vaccinated in other countries,” said Hong Jeong-ik, a KDCA official responsible for planning the vaccination schedule. “If and when the government figures out ways to confirm vaccinated profile through cooperation with foreign governments, we will then be able to help such people get second shots here.”