Free Influenza Vaccination Starts Next Week... 14.6 Million Including Children, Pregnant Women, and Elderly

Last October, citizens received flu vaccinations at the Korea Health Management Association Seoul Western Branch in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Starting next week, free influenza vaccinations will begin for 14.6 million children, pregnant women, and the elderly.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced on the 6th that from the 14th, free quadrivalent influenza vaccinations will be sequentially administered to a total of 14.6 million people, including 5.53 million children aged 6 months to 13 years, 270,000 pregnant women, and 8.8 million seniors aged 65 and older. This free vaccination target accounts for about 28% of the entire population.

Considering that COVID-19 vaccinations are currently underway, the KDCA plans to stagger the vaccination start times by target groups and age, and to ensure dispersed vaccinations by medical institutions and dates through advance reservations. The vaccination period was determined based on the vaccination guidelines (children receiving their first influenza vaccination in life require two doses at a 4-week interval), antibody formation and duration after vaccination (antibodies form 2 weeks after vaccination and last on average 6 months), and the timing of COVID-19 vaccinations.

Accordingly, from the 14th, children requiring two doses and pregnant women will receive vaccinations. Children requiring only one dose will begin vaccination on the 14th of next month. For seniors aged 65 and older, considering the tendency for vaccinations to be concentrated early in the program, the start dates are divided by age: those 75 and older will begin on the 12th of next month, those aged 70-74 on the 18th, and those aged 65-69 on the 21st.

National influenza vaccinations are conducted at designated local clinics and hospitals (designated medical institutions) or public health centers, and eligible recipients can receive free vaccinations anywhere nationwide regardless of their registered residence. There are 21,596 designated medical institutions nationwide, which can be checked on the Vaccination Helper website or application (app).

Additionally, to facilitate dispersed vaccinations, senior vaccinations will be conducted through advance reservations via the 'COVID-19 Vaccination Pre-Reservation System,' the 1339 call center, local government call centers, or by visiting medical institutions for reservation and vaccination.

Last October, citizens lined up to receive flu vaccinations at the Korea Health Management Association Seoul Western Branch in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, where a free influenza (flu) vaccination program was conducted. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The KDCA advised that since COVID-19 vaccinations are being conducted simultaneously, the number of vaccinations available per medical institution may be limited, so it is recommended to confirm vaccination availability with the medical institution before visiting. They also emphasized that bringing an ID to verify eligibility for free vaccination is mandatory.

This year, about 26.8 million doses of influenza vaccine, sufficient to vaccinate approximately 52% of the population, will be supplied after national release approval. For the free national vaccination program, vaccines for seniors are purchased entirely by the government and supplied to medical institutions, while vaccines for children and pregnant women are administered through vaccines purchased by the medical institutions themselves.

To prevent a recurrence of last year's vaccine transportation accident, this year vaccine supply and distribution will be conducted through five vaccine procurement companies and four specialized distribution companies. The plan includes establishing distribution plans, preparing rapid response measures for emergencies, mandatory pre-education for logistics warehouses and related personnel, and conducting frequent on-site inspections of procurement and distribution companies to ensure safe vaccine transportation management.

Jung Eun-kyung, Commissioner of the KDCA, urged, “As COVID-19 continues to spread and both COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations are being administered, please strictly adhere to the vaccination schedule by age group to ensure safe vaccinations.” She also said, “We ask clinics and hospitals to conduct influenza vaccinations to reduce symptoms that can be confused with COVID-19 during the pandemic and to prevent severe cases and spread caused by influenza.”

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