A citizen receives a free flu shot at a medical center in Seoul on Oct. 19, 2020. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — Social service agents, frequently engaging in physical contact with visitors at public offices, have been excluded from a priority vaccination list, raising controversy over discrimination.
A majority of agents have yet to receive COVID-19 vaccines despite the high risk of infection as they meet with customers on a daily basis, according to sources.
Most of them are in their early 20s, serving their military duty as civil agents, which makes it difficult for them to be included on other vaccination lists.
Others in their 20s can receive vaccinations if they work part-time at restaurants or academies.
Some local government agencies are receiving applications from social service agents for vaccination, which in many cases are being canceled due to a shortage of vaccines.
The government’s COVID-19 vaccination task force is carrying out vaccinations for military service members, both current and future recruits.
However, they have excluded social service agents from the list after medical authorities limited the scope of military recipients only to those ‘living in a group environment during military service.’
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has explained that soldiers have been selected as priority recipients of the vaccine in consideration of the current vaccine supply.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
