"Flu After COVID Subsides?" ... "Get Vaccinated First" Pediatric Clinics Crowded

Unprecedented Time of COVID-19 and Influenza Coexistence
Infants and Toddlers Without Flu Immunity Are Vulnerable to Infection

On the afternoon of the 13th, adult and child patients are waiting for their turn at a pediatric clinic in Songpa-gu, Seoul.

[Asia Economy Reporter Byeon Seon-jin] On the afternoon of the 13th, at a pediatric clinic in Songpa-gu, Seoul. While the nearby dental and internal medicine clinics were quiet, by 4 p.m., the number of pediatric patients waiting for treatment surged from 12 to 22 within 30 minutes. When the number of waiting patients exceeds 20, it takes at least an hour to see a doctor. A pediatric staff member said, "As it was the time when children are picked up from daycare, parents and young children who wanted to get flu vaccines all came at once." Bae Mo (36), who visited the clinic to get a flu vaccine for her 4-year-old child, complained, "The morning hours are crowded with children who had been sick since the night before and require long waiting times, so I deliberately chose this time, but now it looks like I will have to wait even longer."

Although the COVID-19 resurgence has started to decline, the previously quiet influenza (flu) epidemic is spreading, raising new health warnings. With multiple respiratory infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and seasonal flu coexisting unprecedentedly, frontline hospitals and clinics are bustling with patients seeking treatment and citizens rushing to get flu vaccinations.

According to Asia Economy’s investigation by visiting and calling eight pediatric clinics in Seoul from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the same day, each pediatric clinic reported an average waiting list of 10 to 15 people, meaning it takes at least 30 minutes to receive a vaccine. A pediatric clinic official in Jung-gu, Seoul said, "Usually, late September to early October is crowded with children and their guardians coming for flu vaccinations," adding, "Especially this year, many parents and children visit with anxiety due to the forecast that COVID-19 and flu may spread simultaneously."

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s influenza sentinel surveillance statistics, during the 40th week (September 25 to October 1) and 41st week (October 2 to 8) of this year, the number of influenza-like illness (ILI) patients per 1,000 outpatients was 7.1 and 7.0, respectively. This means that out of every 1,000 patients visiting hospitals and clinics, about 7 showed flu symptoms such as high fever, cough, and sore throat. This is the first time since statistics began in 2014 that the figure has exceeded 7. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021, the number remained in the single digits.

Influenza typically spreads in the order of young children → young adults → middle-aged → elderly, and experts analyze that this year, many young children lack immunity to the flu due to prolonged mask-wearing. Additionally, the combination of flu and COVID-19 raises concerns about a 'twindemic' with a rapid increase in patients or 'flurona,' where patients are infected with both viruses simultaneously, potentially increasing severe cases. Patients hospitalized with other respiratory infections such as metapneumovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, and rhinovirus have nearly tripled compared to the same period last year.

General adults, including office workers, are also rushing to get flu vaccines. Shin Mo, a 30-something office worker, said, "Since I am not eligible for free flu vaccination, I paid 30,000 won at an internal medicine clinic," adding, "Having experienced a severe bout of COVID-19 once, I think it’s better to prepare in advance."

Professor Lee Kyung-soo of Yeungnam University’s Department of Preventive Medicine advised, "Whether it’s COVID-19 or the flu, the dominant respiratory infectious disease changes every time," and added, "The best prevention is to get vaccinated quickly and follow personal hygiene rules such as hand washing and mask-wearing, while avoiding immune function decline caused by sudden temperature changes."

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