[Report file] Am I already the target of 'Booster Shot'?... If you have received a text message

A, an office worker in his 30s, received a text message from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention a few days ago.

It was a so-called 'boost shot' subject to complete inoculation and additional inoculation, so you had to make an online reservation. 

It had been less than a month since Mr. A had the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

I thought it was strange, but when I went to the pre-booking site linked in the text, it came out that I was eligible for vaccination, and I made a reservation for an additional vaccination a month later. 

Person A said, "There was no explanation in the text as to why I was the target of the booster shot. 

I was a little puzzled after hearing the report from Mr. A. This is because, as announced by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), additional vaccinations for the general public will be available from 6 months after the completion of vaccination. However, patients with immunocompromised immunity, such as acute leukemia patients, are subject to vaccination 2 months after completion of vaccination. 

Mr. A underwent surgery for thyroid cancer 7 years ago, but was completely cured and is currently not receiving treatment or taking medications. There are no other underlying diseases. I didn't get an explanation as to whether or not I was a target for a booster shot because of my previous surgical experience, or what the criteria were. 

When I searched the portal site for 'booster shot text', I was able to easily find articles posted by people in a similar situation to Mr. A. There were many questions, such as 'I don't know why I was in the high-risk group for booster shots' and 'I just got the second dose, but should I get it right?' 

Regarding this question, I asked Hong Jung-ik, head of the vaccination management team of the Corona 19 vaccination promotion team at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In conclusion, "even if you have had previous cancer surgery, etc., if you are not currently receiving treatment, there is no need to urgently receive a booster vaccination." 

A. As stated in the press release, we sent text messages to high-risk groups such as the elderly who have been vaccinated for 6 months and those with weakened immunity. 

A. This applies to acute leukemia and those receiving immunosuppressive treatment. This is a text message to those who have had a history of vaccination against COVID-19 and who are immunocompromised within the personal disease information that we can identify. However, there is also a lot of personal information that we cannot understand. It is not possible to know exactly what medications you are currently taking or what treatment you are receiving. Conversely, it is difficult to identify the specific cases of those who have received treatment in the past but have now stopped treatment. I think you can think of it as sending a comprehensive text message. 

A. There are people who have contacted us as well. Most of them were cancer patients. They have been treated for cancer in the past and have been completely cured, and now they are not cancer patients. We didn't send all text messages just because we were cancer patients, but because it was the national cancer registration information. In addition, there are people who have been financially compensated for applying for special calculations themselves. These are people who have consented to the use of personal information, so we can send you text messages. We have been in touch for the last 5 years. 

A. If you have received chemotherapy in the past, but are now fully cured and not receiving treatment, you do not need to advance the timing to receive additional vaccinations. According to the standard of general public booster vaccination, vaccination can be done 6 months after completion of vaccination. (Completion of vaccination) The opportunity to make a reservation is only available after 2 months, but if you decide that your current physical condition is not the same, you can do it later. 

Rather, we are concerned that there are people who are included in the list of immunocompromised people, but there are people who are missing. The government has limited personal health information, and the government cannot figure out what medications you are currently taking or your test levels are low. So, in this case, if you receive a doctor's opinion and register as a target (high-risk group for booster vaccination) at the public health center, the channel is open for vaccination 2 months after completion of vaccination. 

A. No. The booster immunization is not something that you have to follow the same time as the existing primary immunization. For example, even if you are classified as a high-risk group and have been informed that you can get it from 2 months later, you can make a reservation after 6 months. You can do it at any time you want in the 4th and 5th months. 

To put it in order, it looks like this: 

1. The booster vaccination is basically correct from 6 months after the completion of the vaccination.

However, immunocompromised patients, such as acute leukemia or immunosuppressed patients, may receive the vaccine 2 months after completion of the earlier vaccination. 

2. Recently, the government sent a text message encouraging reservations to high-risk booster vaccination groups, and among them, individual health information that the government could identify was used for those with weakened immunity.

Those who have applied for special calculations for cancer treatment, etc. within the past 5 years. 

3. However, since the government has limited individual health information, text messages were sent to people who were not targeted according to past disease records. 

3-1.

Even if there is a history of disease in the past, there is no need to receive a booster vaccination earlier if it is determined that the patient has been cured or is currently in good health.

According to the general booster vaccination criteria, you can receive the dose 6 months after the completion of the vaccination. 

3-2.

If you did not receive the text message but you think you need additional vaccinations as a high-risk group, visit a hospital and get a doctor's opinion, then go to a public health center and register as a high-risk group.

In this case, additional vaccination is possible from 2 months after the completion of vaccination.