Elderly 62 Years Old, Children 18 Years Old, Expansion to Vulnerable Groups Through District Self-Projects... 70-90% Prevention Effect When Vaccination Cycle Matches Antigenicity of Prevailing Virus
[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Nowon-gu (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) has actively promoted free flu vaccinations this fall and winter to prevent the simultaneous spread of COVID-19 and influenza.
Both COVID-19 and influenza are respiratory infectious diseases transmitted through droplets. Their symptoms?fever, headache, cough, sore throat, muscle pain?are strikingly similar, like twins.
Since simultaneous outbreaks of flu and COVID-19 with similar symptoms may cause shortages of medical resources and personnel, health authorities have expanded the target groups for vaccination this year. In line with this, the district supports vulnerable groups through its own projects to ensure residents' safety.
The number of eligible recipients increased by 76,446 from the previous year to 217,298, with a budget totaling approximately 4.58 billion KRW, including about 1.53 billion KRW from district funds.
The free influenza vaccination targets for the 2020?2021 season include seniors, children, pregnant women, and vulnerable groups among Nowon-gu residents.
Eligibility criteria are as follows: seniors aged 62 or older (born on or before December 31, 1958), children aged 6 months to 18 years (born between January 1, 2002, and August 31, 2020), and pregnant women who can provide documentation confirming their pregnancy regardless of gestational age.
This year, the district’s own project provides free vaccinations for Nowon-gu residents aged 19 or older with severe disabilities, medical aid recipients aged 60 or older, and national merit recipients.
The vaccination period starts on September 8 for children requiring two doses, September 22 for pregnant women, and October 13 for seniors aged 75 or older. Since start dates vary by target group, residents are advised to check the vaccination period before receiving their shots.
It takes more than two weeks to build immunity after vaccination; therefore, getting vaccinated within the recommended period is effective for prevention. Especially for children requiring two doses, it is recommended to start vaccination in early September to complete the second dose before the flu season begins.
To improve accessibility, the district expanded the number of designated medical institutions to 222. Seniors can use 218 locations, children 162, pregnant women 77, and vulnerable groups and high-risk workers 114.
Seniors, children, and pregnant women can receive vaccinations at designated medical institutions nationwide regardless of their address. However, vaccinations under the district’s own project for vulnerable groups must be done at one of the 114 designated medical institutions within Nowon-gu.
The district recommends making reservations before visiting medical institutions to check vaccine availability. Available medical institutions can be found on the Vaccination Helper website. For inquiries about vaccination periods or other questions, residents can contact the Nowon-gu Office’s Public Health Division for guidance.
Meanwhile, the district plans to encourage vaccinations through active promotion, including sending individual postal mail and text messages according to target groups, producing and distributing notices and posters to community centers, medical institutions, and related organizations.
District Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “When the vaccine schedule and the antigenicity of the circulating virus match, flu vaccination can be 70?90% effective. We urge everyone to get their flu shots within the recommended period, which has become essential due to COVID-19.”
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