As we moved into summer and the vaccine rollout in South Korea keeps (slowly) moving along, my turn at the needle would soon be here. We were left in the dark for so long, but finally, word came that teachers in middle school would have the opportunity to access the online reservation system at the end of July, for vaccine appointments in late July through August.
With my first vaccine imminent, I started to wonder and worry if I should actually get the vaccine here in Korea. Without a doubt, I will be vaccinated, but the problem was that South Korea was primarily using the AstraZeneca vaccine because that was 90% of what they were able to secure However, other places, including Canada, phased out and eventually ceased administering the AZ vaccine due to a rare but serious potential blood clot issue. The blood clot issue was worrying enough, but there was also the concern that those who were vaccinated with AZ were not "counted" as vaccinated in certain places. There was a news report that Canadians who had received AstraZeneca would not be permitted to attend the Bruce Springsteen concert because the Americans were not recognizing AZ as a legitimate and effective vaccine.
So, there was my dilemma. Get the AstraZeneca vaccine in August in South Korea and potentially not have it count as a proper vaccination if I were to go to the USA or other places that didn't recognize the vaccine. Or, I could wait until February when I would have the chance to return to Canada to get another vaccine, probably the Moderna or Pfizer, but those extra months being unvaccinated would leave me vulnerable.
Luckily and quite unexpectedly, the South Korean government decided to adjust their policy concerning AstraZeneca. They had been prohibited anyone under the age of 30 from receiving that vaccine. Without warning, they changed their stance and anyone under 50 cannot receive AZ as a health precaution. That solved the problem for me. I will get a vaccine in Korea as soon as possible.
But why did the Korean government change their mind on AZ after downplaying the blood clot issue? Well, it's very curious that they waited until their supply of AZ was exhausted before changing their policy. Simply put, they minimized the dangers of AstraZeneca while that was the only vaccine they had access to, and suddenly acknowledged the risks when other vaccines became available.
The government in recent weeks has been pushing for a gradual reopening of society while reducing the restrictions on business and the public. They announced that those who received their two vaccine shots would no longer have to wear a mask while outdoors. Restrictions on the number of people gathering at certain venues, including restaurants, would be lifted, for example. They spoke of doing this for the benefit of businesses and the economy and hinted that the public would have to get used to living with Covid-19 to some degree.
It was quite apparent to me that they were moving too quickly to reduce the social distancing measures. South Korea was way behind other nations in vaccinating people. We had a very late start with the vaccinations and have been moving along very slowly. Only 30% of the population has received one vaccination shot, and a minuscule 10% have received the full two doses.
Many other countries have made the same mistake, putting business and profits first over public health. Ontario in Canada has had several missteps in this regard, but finally, seems to be doing well because of the mass vaccination of the population. But the premature opening has backfired severely in South Korea.
South Korea now has more daily COVID-19 cases than at any other time in the pandemic. Yes, you read correctly. We have more infections now than during last winter when we set the record of about 1200 cases per day. Now, South Korea is firmly in a fourth wave, recording 1375 cases, and over 1200 cases for 4 consecutive days.
As of now, the fourth wave seems to be localized in Seoul and the surrounding area, with about 75% of all cases occurring there. The highest level of social distancing has been imposed in the capital region for two weeks to help combat the spread of the virus.
Busan seems to be clear of COVID-19 at the moment, but with the summer holiday season fast approaching, travel to Seoul and to areas frequented by Seoulites is more likely and increases the possibility of spread throughout the country.
The fourth wave may affect my English summer camps, but the Board of Education has not made any indications as of yet. Last summer, there were fewer cases in the country, but we suddenly switched to an online format as a precaution at that time. It may happen again this summer.
Also, my vacation in August is threatened because of the fourth wave. I'll have time off, but will most likely be staying close to Busan if cases continue to rise. The next few weeks will make all of the difference. There was a report that cases could spike even more by the end of the month if the "near lockdown" in Seoul is unsuccessful. We'll see what happens.
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