From Today, Free Flu Vaccinations Expanded but Many Empty Trips... Shortage of Children's Vaccines

Vaccination for Those Aged 70 and Over Starts on the 19th... KCDC Says "Safety Identical for Paid and Free"

On the 13th, when the influenza vaccination support project resumed, citizens were waiting to receive flu shots at Seoul Dongbu Hospital in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] On the 19th, Jeong (age 71) visited a public hospital in Jongno-gu, Seoul, with his 6-year-old grandchild to get influenza (flu) vaccines, but only he received the free flu vaccine. The hospital explained that the free vaccines for children under 12 years old were already sold out and were expected to arrive this week, but they could not guarantee it. Jeong expressed his frustration, saying, "I usually take care of my grandchild and thought it would be good to get vaccinated together, but it was a wasted trip." On the same day, a pediatric clinic in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, stated, "Vaccinations for seniors aged 70 and above are available starting today, but free vaccinations for children under 12 are currently unavailable," and advised, "Please call ahead before visiting the hospital." A clinic in Mapo-gu, Seoul, also said, "We no longer provide free vaccinations for children under 12," adding, "Only paid vaccinations are available."

Although free flu vaccinations for those aged 70 and above began today, there have been cases of wasted trips at frontline hospitals. Since flu vaccines are often administered to family units for infection prevention, many children are unable to get vaccinated due to the early sell-out of free vaccines for those under 12. In response to complaints about the shortage of children's vaccines at medical institutions, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) supplied additional doses to deficient areas by the 16th and decided to allocate 15% of vaccines intended for those aged 13 to 18 to cover shortages for children under 12. However, the shortage remains severe even two weeks later.

The unique shortage of vaccines for children under 12 is due to differences in supply methods by age group, even among free vaccination recipients. For this year's free vaccination program, vaccines for adolescents aged 13 to 18 and seniors are procured by the government through contracts and supplied to frontline medical institutions via public health centers. In contrast, vaccines for children under 12 are supplied directly to frontline hospitals by pharmaceutical companies. Pediatric clinics use general paid vaccines for vaccinations and then claim costs from the government. However, since the government sets low prices for national free vaccination vaccines, pharmaceutical companies and hospitals tend to avoid free vaccines and prefer paid vaccinations with higher profit margins, resulting in a shortage of free vaccines for children.

Pharmaceutical Companies and Hospitals Prefer Paid Vaccinations with Higher Margins: "Can't Find Free Vaccines for Children"
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Concerns about vaccine exposure to room temperature and the discovery of white particles have increased anxiety, leading to more cases of paid vaccinations even among those eligible for free vaccines. According to the KDCA, out of 19 million people eligible for this year's national free flu vaccination program, about 17.5% (3.32 million) had completed vaccination as of the 13th, with approximately 7.5% (250,000) of them receiving paid vaccinations. Kim, whose child is in the first grade of elementary school, said, "Although the government expanded the free flu vaccine eligibility this year, my child, who must attend school daily starting today, could not receive the free vaccine due to shortages," expressing frustration, "It is hard to understand not being able to get vaccinated amid concerns about the 'twindemic' of COVID-19 and flu." Lee, in his 40s from Ilsan, Gyeonggi-do, said, "It is natural and in line with the program's purpose that those eligible for the national immunization program receive free vaccinations," and added, "The government should not neglect the situation where some medical institutions only recommend paid vaccines for children and must actively manage supply."

In response, Shin Hye-kyung, head of the Vaccine Supply Division at the KDCA, said, "Vaccines for children under 12 are purchased directly by hospitals, and some pediatric and adolescent clinics have run out," adding, "We will continuously monitor vaccination rates and vaccine supply situations and consider redistributing remaining vaccine stocks." Regarding the preference for paid vaccinations due to safety concerns, the KDCA stated, "We conducted a joint quality investigation of flu vaccines with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and found no safety issues, but vaccines with potentially reduced efficacy were all recalled," and emphasized, "All vaccines currently distributed and administered, whether paid or free, have no differences in safety, so we encourage everyone to participate in the national immunization program with confidence."