Free Flu Vaccinations from the 8th... 5 Million More Middle and High School Students This Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) will begin the national influenza (flu) vaccination program starting on the 8th. This year, the target groups have been expanded to include more middle and high school students and some elderly individuals, and the vaccine has been changed from a trivalent to a quadrivalent formulation.

Influenza, like the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is accompanied by respiratory symptoms, making this year’s vaccination more important than ever, according to health authorities. The national vaccination targets this year include children from 6 months to 18 years old, pregnant women, and seniors aged 62 and older, covering about 37% of the total population (19 million people). The target group has been expanded by more than 5 million compared to last year, including 2.85 million middle and high school students and 2.2 million seniors aged 62 and above.

The vaccination starting on the 8th is for those who require two doses. This includes children aged 6 months to under 9 years who are receiving the influenza vaccine for the first time in their life or who have received only one dose before July 1 of this year. They should receive two doses with a 4-week interval after the first vaccination. The KDCA emphasized, "Considering that the flu season usually peaks in mid-November and that immunity develops about two weeks after vaccination, it is recommended to complete the two doses by November if possible."

For children who require only one dose, free vaccinations will begin on the 22nd of this month to ensure sufficient immunity throughout the long influenza season. There are 12,611 designated medical institutions nationwide providing free influenza vaccinations for children, and vaccinations can be received regardless of the place of residence. For pregnant women, there are 6,742 designated centers, and for seniors, 20,698 centers. Designated medical institutions can be found on the Vaccination Helper website or application. To prevent medical institution infections related to the COVID-19 outbreak, it is recommended to make reservations through the pre-booking system and fill out the medical questionnaire in advance to reduce waiting times.

Jung Eun-kyung, head of the KDCA, stated, "For the safe vaccination of children, guardians should carefully monitor the child’s condition before and after vaccination," and added, "Medical personnel should thoroughly check for adverse reactions through pre-vaccination screening and 15 to 30 minutes of observation after vaccination, and ensure proper vaccine storage (cold chain) and management for safety."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.