PHWR Public Health Weekly Report

Vol.14 No.52, December 23, 2021 Article TypeEpidemiology and SurveillanceIssues on COVID-19 vaccinesNoncommunicable Disease Statistics

• Issues on COVID-19 vaccines 2021-12-23

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  Adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination in adolescents aged 16-17 years

  Seontae Kim, Insob Hwang, Hyungjun Kim, Kyeongeun Park, Mijeong Ko, Sangyun Cho, Yeon-Kyeng Lee, Yunhyung Kwon

  Public Health Weekly Report 2021; 14(52): 3680-3686

  Abstract

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  In the Republic of Korea, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine was administered to adolescents aged 16-17 from July 19, 2021. To identify the adverse events (AEs) after vaccination, we have been monitoring AEs reported to the Korea Immunization Management System (KIMS) and the results of active monitoring of health conditions using text messages.
  In this paper, we reviewed reports of AEs for adolescents aged 16-17 years who received the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine between October 18, 2021, and November 6, 2021 and monitored results of health conditions using text messages from day 0 to day 7 after vaccination.
  A total of 1,525 AEs cases were reported via the KIMS from October 18, 2021, to November 6, 2021. The total reported rate of AEs was 0.29% compared to the number of doses administered. Among the total of AEs reported, the majority were non-serious (1,497 cases), such as headache, chest pain, dizziness, and myalgia. A total of 28 cases of serious AEs, including suspected anaphylaxis were reported. The mobile phone text messages monitoring received reports of health status from a total of 4,566 adolescents aged 16-17 years who received Pfizer-BioNTech vaccinations. 57.51% reported having health problems from day 0 to day 7 after vaccination. The types of health problems were injection site pain, myalgia, fatigue/tiredness, and headache.
  This paper was a preliminary analysis of AEs after the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech for COVID-19 for adolescents aged 16-17 in the Republic of Korea. The KDCA will monitor AEs and implement the safe vaccination program by sharing and reviewing information with the committees and experts.

• Epidemiology and Surveillance 2021-12-23

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  Surveillance and management of Polio to maintain polio-free status in the Republic of Korea - Annual report submitted to the twenty-seventh Regional Commission for the Certificate of Polio Eradication -

  Yoomi Noh, Hyungjun Kim, Sunryu Seo, Donghan Lee

  Public Health Weekly Report 2021; 14(52): 3698-3705

  

  

  Abstract

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  Polio is a viral infection that causes acute flaccid paralysis (AFP). In the Republic of Korea (ROK), there have been no polio cases since the last five cases were reported in 1983, enabling the country to be awarded with a polio-free status by World Health Organization (WHO) in 2000. This report was written based on the annual report submitted to the Regional Commission for the Certificate of Polio Eradication (RCC) in September 2021, which evaluates whether the certification of each member state is valid. Before writing up the report, the National Certification Committee of Polio Eradication (NCC) met in August 2021 to discuss and conclude that ROK maintains polio-free status. Evidence included in the report were as follow: firstly, the ROK implements a surveillance system of AFP and enterovirus, and there were no polio cases detected through the systems. Secondly, the ROK maintains a high immunization coverage of three doses of the polio vaccine. Lastly, ROK has received a certificate of participation from WHO for the Polio-essential facility. In the ROK, the risk of local polio cases is low. However, the risk of imported cases cannot be ruled out. Therefore, the quality of AFP surveillance to rapidly detect imported polio cases should be improved, and introduction of alternative surveillance system needs to be considered to supplement the currently implemented patient-based surveillance system.

• Epidemiology and Surveillance 2021-12-23

  0 353 137

  A survey of Q fever seroreactivity and seropositivity among high-risk groups in the Republic of Korea, 2020

  Su Gwon Roh, Miyeon Kim, Byoungchul Gill, Jun Young Kim, Jaeil Yoo

  Public Health Weekly Report 2021; 14(52): 3706-3714

  

  

  Abstract

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  Q fever is a highly infectious zoonotic disease by Coxiella burnetii which is an obligate intracellular bacterium. Indivisuals such as veterinarians, slaughter workers, and livestock husbandry workers, who have a high possibility of being exposed to infected livestock are part of high-risk groups for Q fever. Furthermore, since control as a legal infectious disease, the surveys for high risk groups have been performed in the Republic of Korea (ROK). In this study, a total of 347 participants including slaughter workers, veterinary inspectors, livestock husbandry workers, and by-product handlers were examined to investigate the seroreactivity of Q fever in high risk groups in 2020. The infection was examined using IgG titer against phase I and II antigens of C. burnetii by indirect immuno-fluorescent assay (IFA). In this survey, “seroreactivity” was defined as cases coinciding with putative diagnosis criteria, and “seropositivity” was defined as cases corresponding to definite diagnosis criteria. Among the 347 participants, 46 cases (13.3%) for chronic Q fever and 85 cases (24.5%) for acute Q fever showed the seroreactivity. In addition, livestock husbandry workers and slaughter workers had higher seroreactivity rates than those of the other two groups. One case (0.5%) of slaughter workers and three cases (4.2%) of livestock husbandry workers showed the seropositivity for chronic Q fever. Furthermore, 97.5% of 46 seroreactive cases for chronic Q fever were also seroreactive for acute Q fever. In terms of the regional distribution of seroreactivity, Jeonbuk was the highest seroreactive region with 40.8 and 55.1% of seroreactivity rate of chronic and acute Q fever, respectively. The number of seroreactive cases of this study were higher than those of the reported 26 seroreactive cases to the KDCA in 2020, and the seroreactivity rates for combined cases in slaughter workers, livestock husbandry workers, and by-product handlers was much higher than those of previous reports in 2007-2019 (1.2% in 2007 and 1.4% in 2012, respectively). In conclusion, the survey results in this study reflected the field infection situation by confirming the infectious vulnerableness for Q fever high risk groups. It is expected that these results will be applied as scientific proof for effective prevention and control of infectious diseases.

• Noncommunicable Disease Statistics 2021-12-23

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  Noncommunicable disease statistics

  Public Health Weekly Report 2021; 14(52): 3715-3718

  

  

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