2020 Flu Deaths
| Fewer people than ever wait in line at a hospital in Seoul, to get flu shots amid concerns about their safety, Wednesday. Yonhap |
It was feared by many to be the perfect winter storm: the 'twin-demic' of flu, which kills about 10,000 Britons every year, and a second deadly wave of Covid-19. Sep 24, 2020 Overall, the CDC estimates that 12,000 and 61,000 deaths annually since 2010 can be blamed on the flu. The higher number reflects the particularly harsh 2017-2018 flu season. COVID-19: There have been approximately 2,989,103 deaths reported worldwide. In the U.S, 565,298 people have died of COVID-19 between January 2020 and April 16, 2021. Flu: The World Health Organization estimates that 290,000 to 650,000 people die of flu-related causes every year worldwide. As of 27 April 2020, the CD C reported a n estimated 39 to 56 million cases of flu in the U.S. During the 2019-2020 flu season. During the same period, flu accounted for an estimated 24,000 to 62,000 deaths in the country.
Influenza update - 390 29 March 2021, based on data up to 14 March 2021. Information in this report is categorized by influenza transmission zones, which are geographical groups of countries, areas or territories with similar influenza transmission patterns.
By Bahk Eun-ji
Public fear surrounding the seasonal flu vaccine is prompting more consumers look for imported flu shots in anticipation that these would be safer than ones produced by local pharmaceutical companies.
As a result, local news outlets are reporting that there is now a shortage of imported vaccines.
Seventy deaths have been reported among those getting free influenza vaccinations, but despite the government announcing that there was no proof that these were caused by the flu shots, public concern about the safety of the vaccines hasn't subsided.
Out of 12 flu vaccines available in Korea, 10 are made by Korean companies and two by foreign ones. Those used in the government's free shot program were from LG Chemical, Boryung Biopharma, GC Pharma, Korea Vaccine, SK Bioscience and Sanofi Pasteur.
These companies have joined the free vaccination program despite an anticipated loss ― although the government is paying 60 percent of the market price. On the other hand, GSK and Dong-A ST did not participate in the vaccination program ― GSK is a foreign pharmaceutical company.
Experts and officials in the pharmaceutical industry say there is no difference in safety and efficacy between domestic and imported vaccines. The ingredients and distribution processes are all similar.
'Although participation in the government's free vaccination program is not profitable, we took part in the program this year for the sake of public health,' an official from a domestic pharmaceutical company was quoted as saying by Newsis. 'As more people received free vaccinations, the chances of the vaccine being killed have increased. Nevertheless, I am worried that some people think that only GSK products or imported vaccines are safe.'
Another official from the pharmaceutical industry said, 'In particular, Boryung Biopharma imports the undiluted solution of the vaccine from Sanofi. The raw material itself is an imported vaccine,' he said. 'It does not make sense to specify safety and effectiveness by dividing it into domestic products and imported ones.'
The causal relationship between death and vaccine is also judged to be low. On Oct. 29, the Korea Disease Prevention and Control Agency announced that the number of people who died after getting a flu shot this year increased to 70, but there was no causality linked to the vaccination. Among the deaths, 86.1% of the people were in their 70s or older.
The official expressed regret that the government's announcement of the deaths played a part in raising the fear of the flu vaccine.
'The government has announced every time there are reports of death that the association between the deaths and vaccination has not been identified. In the process, the public had no choice but to believe that it was a serious accident after watching the news,' he said. 'If there was a real problem with the vaccine, it would not have been administered for nearly 70 years. Similar adverse reactions were found in many patients who received the vaccine, leading to death,' he continued.
'Every year, thousands of people die from the flu. We are worried that people will not be inoculated in the prescribed period due to such excessive fear, which will have a negative impact on public health.'
2020 Flu Deaths In Ct