Deadline for reconsideration of COVID-19 vaccine injury compensation is the 23rd; only 3 in 100 have applied

[Financial News] The deadline is the 23rd for filing a special-case appeal, which allows COVID-19 vaccine injury compensation claims to be reconsidered under relaxed criteria.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said the deadline for special-case appeals by people who received a compensation decision before the Special Act on Compensation for Damage from COVID-19 Vaccination took effect (October 23, 2025) is the 23rd, and urged eligible people who have not yet applied to do so promptly.
According to the KDCA, 75,792 existing compensation decisions, including duplicates, are eligible for a special-case appeal. However, as of the 11th, only 2,265 applications (3.0%) had been received.
The Special Act was enacted to set out compensation and support for people who suffered harm to their life or health following temporary COVID-19 vaccinations administered from February 26, 2021, through June 30, 2024. In particular, it broadened the compensation criteria by establishing a presumption of a causal link between vaccination and adverse reactions.
Accordingly, people who received a decision on whether to award compensation under the former Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act can also seek a new review under the Special Act’s relaxed criteria by filing an appeal.
The appeal deadline depends on when the decision was made. Those who received a decision before the Special Act took effect may apply once, by the 23rd, one year after the Act’s effective date. Those who received a new decision after the Act took effect may apply within 90 days of being notified of the result.
However, people are ineligible to appeal if, before the Special Act took effect, they sued to challenge a decision made under the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act and received a final court judgment.
Vaccinated people or their bereaved family members who wish to apply can submit an appeal form and the required documents to the public health center with jurisdiction over their current registered address. They may also submit additional materials to support the facts they claim. Applications will be reviewed and resolved by the Reconsideration Committee, after which the Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency will decide whether to award compensation and notify applicants of the result.
KDCA Commissioner Lim Seung-gwan stressed, “There is little time left for people who received compensation decisions before the Special Act took effect to have their cases reviewed again under the relaxed criteria,” and added, “I urge them to check the required documents and apply promptly so they do not miss this opportunity when the deadline passes.”
More details about the appeal process and required documents can be found on the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency website or at the public health center with jurisdiction over the applicant’s registered address.

[email protected] Jeong Myeong-jin, Medical Correspondent Reporter