"Complete Required Vaccinations Before Entering Elementary and Middle School"

KDCA Recommends Vaccination Before Group Activities
Free at Contracted Medical Institutions and Public Health Centers

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on the 10th urged parents and guardians to check and complete the required vaccination records for children and adolescents before they enter elementary and middle school, in order to prevent infectious diseases.

To protect the health of children starting a new phase of group life, the KDCA recommends specific essential vaccination items: 4 types for new elementary school students and 3 types for new middle school students. For this purpose, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, it has been implementing a program since 2001 to check the required vaccination records of new elementary and middle school students every year and to recommend completion of vaccination.

Parents or guardians of children entering elementary or middle school in 2026 can review their child’s vaccination history and, if any vaccinations are incomplete, visit a nearby contracted medical institution or public health center to receive the vaccinations free of charge. Vaccination records can be checked on the “Vaccination Helper” website.

Whether or not to receive vaccination can be decided by the parent, guardian, or the individual after consulting medical staff, depending on the person’s health condition. If vaccination has been completed but is not visible on the website, they can ask the medical institution or public health center where the vaccination was administered to register the record. If the vaccination was received overseas, they can bring relevant documents such as an English vaccination certificate to a nearby public health center to have the record registered.

The KDCA plans to send vaccination guidance text messages this year so that parents and guardians of new students can properly manage their children’s vaccinations. Each school and public health center also plans to provide vaccination guidance to new students who have not yet completed their vaccinations.

Im Seungkwan, Commissioner of the KDCA, said, “Because children entering elementary and middle school are at an age that can be vulnerable to infection, I hope they will safely begin their school life by checking their vaccination records and completing their vaccinations before admission.”

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