Medical institutions administered 14 million doses of Covid vaccines despite contaminants being reported
Published: 23 Feb. 2026, 17:04
![A vial labelled ″CureVac Covid-19 Vaccine″ is seen in this illustration from Jan. 16, 2022. [REUTERS/YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/02/23/8fe89a16-6c65-4d68-9065-fc25b35cf787.jpg)
A vial labelled ″CureVac Covid-19 Vaccine″ is seen in this illustration from Jan. 16, 2022. [REUTERS/YONHAP]
Medical institutions in Korea continued to administer about 14.2 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines even after authorities received reports of suspected contaminants in the vaccines during the pandemic, according to an audit from the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) on Monday.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) received 1,285 reports of suspected contaminants in Covid-19 vaccines from medical institutions between March 2021 and October 2024, according to the findings of an audit conducted by the BAI.
Of the total reports, 835 cases, or 65 percent, involved small rubber fragments from vial caps. Another 127 cases, or 9.9 percent, involved substances such as mold and hair that could raise safety concerns.
The KDCA did not notify the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety about these cases. Instead, the agency informed only the manufacturers and handled the issue based on the manufacturers’ investigation results.
Even after reports of potentially harmful materials, the KDCA did not stop using vaccines from the same batches, allowing medical institutions to administer about 14.2 million doses.
![A nurse prepares a booster dose of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine, Spikevax, in Berlin, Germany on Jan. 1, 2022. [REUTERS/YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/02/23/c8a6e4c2-d267-4a31-89ec-570473ef1469.jpg)
A nurse prepares a booster dose of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine, Spikevax, in Berlin, Germany on Jan. 1, 2022. [REUTERS/YONHAP]
The BAI instructed the commissioner of the KDCA to establish clear safety procedures for cases in which suspected contaminants raise concerns about vaccine quality.
The BAI urged the KDCA to quickly assess potential risks and suspend affected batches when harmful substances are suspected. It also instructed the agency to work with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on recalls, testing and on-site factory inspections when needed.
The audit also identified problems involving expired vaccines.
The KDCA did not clearly state in its Covid-19 vaccination guidelines that medical institutions must inform recipients when they administer expired doses. The agency also did not check whether recipients received another dose.
Between 2021 and 2023, 2,703 people received expired Covid-19 vaccines. Of them, 1,504 people, or 55.6 percent, did not receive another dose.
The BAI instructed the commissioner of the KDCA to revise its guidelines so medical institutions inform recipients when they receive the expired vaccine and advise them to get another dose. It also told the KDCA to remove those expired shots from the national immunization registry system.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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