Publications by authors named "Insob Hwang"
Article Synopsis
- In Korea, a national COVID-19 vaccination program utilized four types of vaccines and included a text messaging survey for reporting unusual post-vaccination symptoms.
- The study collected responses from 50,950 vaccine recipients to compare adverse events after receiving either homologous (same vaccine type) or heterologous (mixed vaccine types) two-dose regimens.
- Results showed that mRNA vaccine recipients experienced more frequent reactions after their second dose, and younger females receiving mixed vaccine regimens reported more adverse events, but no serious safety concerns were found.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to assess the severity of reinfections from SARS-CoV-2 based on different variants in Gyeongsangbuk-do and Daegu, Korea.
- Using data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, researchers found that the severity of reinfections was generally lower than that of primary infections, with a Severity Odds Ratio (SOR) of 0.89.
- Vaccination within 91 days showed even lower severity (SOR of 0.85), but reinfections from the Omicron variant were still more severe compared to infections caused by earlier variants, highlighting the importance of booster vaccinations for at-risk populations.
Safety monitoring of COVID-19 vaccination among adolescents aged 12 to 17 years old in the Republic of Korea.
Osong Public Health Res Perspect
June 2022
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to share information about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines for adolescents aged 12-17 years in South Korea.
- It analyzed adverse events reported from a vaccination management system regarding the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine between March 2021 and February 2022, noting that most events were non-serious.
- The findings indicated that while serious adverse events were rare, common local and systemic reactions occurred more frequently after the second dose, with pain, headaches, fatigue, and muscle pain being the most reported symptoms.
Article Synopsis
- - Starting July 19, 2021, South Korea vaccinated all 12th graders with the BNT162b2 Covid-19 vaccine, while 10th and 11th graders were not eligible.
- - The study of 444,313 adolescents showed a low reporting rate of myocarditis/pericarditis: 1.8 cases per 100,000 after the first dose and 4.3 after the second dose.
- - BNT162b2 vaccine effectiveness was high, at 91.1% after the first dose and 99.1% after the second dose, indicating it is safe and significantly reduces the risk of Covid-19 in teens.
COVID-19 vaccine safety monitoring in Republic of Korea from February 26, 2021 to October 31, 2021.
Osong Public Health Res Perspect
December 2021
Article Synopsis
- This study analyzed adverse events following COVID-19 vaccinations in South Korea from February to October 2021, focusing on patterns of reported cases.
- A total of 353,535 adverse events were reported, with 96.4% classified as non-serious, while the most common symptoms included headache and dizziness.
- The research found the reporting rate of adverse events was higher in women, and confirmed anaphylaxis occurred in 5.8 cases per 1,000,000 vaccinations, confirming that most reported reactions were consistent with those seen in clinical trials.
COVID-19 vaccine safety monitoring in the Republic of Korea: February 26, 2021 to April 30, 2021.
Osong Public Health Res Perspect
August 2021
Article Synopsis
- COVID-19 vaccination began in Korea on February 26, 2021, targeting high-priority groups, with AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines available.
- From February 26 to April 30, 2021, there were 16,196 reports of adverse events after administering 3,586,814 doses, with 96.7% being non-serious, while 3.3% were serious including 73 deaths, none linked to the vaccines.
- The majority of adverse events (80.7%) occurred in women, with common side effects like myalgia, fever, and headache, and ongoing monitoring of vaccine safety is being conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
Article Synopsis
- South Korea's mass vaccination campaign from February 26 to April 30, 2021, administered 3.8 million COVID-19 vaccine doses.
- Out of 173 suspected anaphylaxis cases reported, 44 were confirmed as actual anaphylaxis using established case definitions.
- The rates of anaphylaxis were 18.2 per million doses for Vaxzevria and 6.2 per million for Comirnaty, with symptoms typically appearing 14 minutes after vaccination, and most patients had recovered by the time of review.