The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Thursday that it would compensate for the damage caused by receiving Covid-19 shots if the health authorities find sufficient causality after reviewing the cases.

Jeong Kyoung-sil, head of the Covid-19 vaccination promotion team at KDCA, said the specific relationship between the harms and the coronavirus shots might vary depending on the injury's details and whether the vaccination procedures have been appropriately followed.

The health authorities will prepare the budget for compensation by formulating an extra budget or transferring the existing account, Jeong said.

According to the compensation plan for damage caused by the Covid-19 vaccination announced by KDCA on Wednesday, the government will pay up to 430 million won ($388,000) in compensation for possible deaths resulting from vaccination if the health authorities recognize a link between death and injection.

KDCA runs a national compensation program for adverse events caused by vaccination based on Article 71 of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act.

Victims or their relatives should apply for compensation for vaccination injury to public health centers near the applicant’s residence. KDCA’s vaccination injury committee will review the case within 120 days.

When the applicants or their guardians apply within the deadline, the public health center and the local government will conduct an epidemiological investigation with documents on compensation, the health authorities said. The vaccination investigators and compensation experts at the infectious disease control agency decide the compensation payment after the review.

KDCA also decided to expand the scope of injury compensation. Currently, people who have paid 300,000 won or more of their own money can apply for payment. Under the expanded criteria, they can apply for compensation for any costs incurred.