Anchor: As of Friday afternoon, 36 people so far have died over a week after receiving seasonal flu shots. Meanwhile, an autopsy on a high school student in Incheon, who was the first fatality after receiving a vaccine, revealed there was no relationship between the flu shot and the death.
Sam Len reports. 

Report: The number of deaths among people who received seasonal flu shots continues to rise. The figure is feared to rise further as regional governments continue to submit updated fatality numbers each day.

Among the deaths so far, most were senior citizens aged 60 or more.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Chung Se-kyun cited experts' views of a low correlation between the vaccinations and fatalities and urged the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency to take necessary steps to calm public fears.

[Sound bite: Prime Minister Chung Se-kyun (Korean/English translation)]
"We continue to see a rise in the number of deaths mostly among senior citizens who received flu vaccinations. I offer my sincerest condolences to those who have suddenly lost their beloved family members. We announced there is a low correlation between flu vaccinations and deaths based on what we've confirmed from experts, but many people continue to remain nervous. I urge health officials to thoroughly investigate any relationship between the vaccines and the fatalities and transparently update the public on the latest findings. We must trust the opinions of experts when it comes to problems that are in the realm of science." 

An autopsy on the first person to die, which was a 17-year-old high school student in Incheon, showed the flu shot he received two days before he was found dead in his room last week did not play a part. But police said they will continue to investigate the cause of the teenager's death.

As the number of fatalities continues to rise, the Korean Medical Association(KMA) has proposed the halt of flu vaccinations for a week as experts continue to investigate a possible link between the injections and deaths.

The Southeastern port city of Pohang announced Friday that it will cease administering flu vaccines for a week.

However, the Korean Vaccine Society urged the government to continue administering flu shots. Its reasoning is that the fatalities have not been isolated to a particular region or manufacturer, suggesting that the vaccines may not have been the main cause.
Sam Len, KBS World Radio News.