Government: "COVID-19 and Influenza Are Separate"… Emphasizing Influenza Vaccination

On the 6th, when the number of first-dose COVID-19 vaccine recipients in Korea surpassed 30 million, citizens visiting the vaccination center in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, received their vaccines. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Junhyung Lee] The government emphasized that the influenza vaccine should be administered separately from the COVID-19 vaccine.

Kim Gi-nam, Head of the Vaccination Planning Division at the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, stated at a regular briefing on the 6th, "Free influenza vaccinations will be provided to approximately 14.6 million people, including pregnant women, children aged 6 months to 13 years, and seniors aged 65 and older." This free vaccination program will run from the 14th of this month until April 30th of next year.

Kim said, "COVID-19 and influenza are different infectious diseases," adding, "For influenza, annual vaccinations have been recommended for high-risk groups such as seniors, children, and pregnant women to reduce disease burden." He continued, "Last year, due to social distancing and mask-wearing measures against COVID-19, influenza cases sharply decreased compared to previous years," and added, "It is necessary to emphasize vaccination to prevent confusion between influenza patients and COVID-19 patients at medical institutions."

The Promotion Team plans to stagger the vaccination schedule for children, adolescents, and pregnant women when establishing the influenza vaccination plan to avoid overlapping with COVID-19 vaccination schedules. To distribute the number of vaccinations, seniors aged 65 and older will make advance reservations through the COVID-19 vaccination pre-booking system or call centers.

Regarding concerns about simultaneous vaccinations, Kim responded, "There is no issue with vaccination standards even if vaccinations overlap." He explained, "According to vaccination guidelines, there is no restriction on the interval between COVID-19 and influenza vaccines, so it is possible to receive both on the same day," adding, "However, it is recommended to administer them in different arms if given on the same day." He also stated, "Many medical institutions are administering COVID-19 and influenza vaccines simultaneously, so special attention is still required to prevent incorrect vaccinations." The Promotion Team will triple-check the recipient and vaccine type at the reception, preliminary examination, and vaccination stages to prevent incorrect vaccinations.

Additionally, Kim said, "If you are not eligible for free vaccination, you can check with medical institutions about the availability of the influenza vaccine and get vaccinated," but noted, "Since the influenza vaccine is currently undergoing national batch release approval by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety this year, it is necessary to confirm availability with each medical institution."

The Promotion Team expects the national batch release approval for the influenza vaccine currently underway to be completed within this month. According to the team, over 50% of the total vaccine supply has already received batch release approval. The team plans to continuously monitor and provide guidance on the batch release approval status being conducted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

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