The Number of Flu Patients Hits a 5-Year High... Vaccination Rates Have Not Increased Significantly

Suspected influenza (flu) cases have surged 1.6 times in a month, reaching the highest level in the past five years. However, the flu vaccination rate remains similar to the average level.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on the 19th, the number of suspected flu patients per 1,000 outpatients in the second week of December (December 3?9) was 61.3. Over the past four weeks, suspected flu cases have increased 1.6 times, marking the highest figure since 2019. Among 218 hospital-level medical institutions monitoring acute respiratory infection inpatients, those aged 65 and older accounted for 40.3%. In 42 tertiary hospitals monitoring severe acute respiratory infection inpatients, the proportion of patients aged 65 and older was also high at 47.4%.

Cases of Mycoplasma pneumonia infection, which had raised concerns due to its spread in China, have been declining over the past two weeks. The number of pertussis patients has plateaued since the third week of November. However, the KDCA stated that it is still too early to be complacent as respiratory infectious diseases continue to occur steadily, mainly among school-age children under 12 years old.

Although multiple respiratory infectious diseases have become a reality as a 'multidemic,' the flu vaccination rate remains similar to previous seasons. As of the 15th of this month, the vaccination rate for all age groups in the 2023?2024 season is 76.2%, showing little difference from the previous season (76.1%). In fact, the vaccination rate among children this season is 67.5%, which is 0.8 percentage points lower than the previous year (68.3%).

To prepare measures against the spread of respiratory infectious diseases, the government held the first meeting of the 'Joint Task Force on Respiratory Infectious Diseases' on the 18th. The KDCA announced, "As a result of the meeting, it was decided to strengthen cooperation with local governments and actively recommend flu vaccination."

By government department, the KDCA will supply additional antiviral drugs, the Ministry of Health and Welfare will establish a monitoring system for pediatric hospital treatment status, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will inspect raw material supply status, and the Ministry of Education plans to encourage vaccinations at schools and other institutions. Additionally, experts participating in the meeting urged adherence to personal hygiene rules such as handwashing and cough etiquette, and recommended wearing masks if symptoms are present.

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