Seocho-gu Expands 'Free Pertussis Vaccination' to Include Infants' Cohabitating Family Members

Infants Under 12 Months and Cohabiting Family Members

Seocho-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Jeon Seong-su) announced on the 4th that starting from the 6th, it will be the first autonomous district in Seoul to expand free pertussis vaccination support to cohabiting family members (parents, siblings, grandparents, etc.) of infants under 12 months of age.

Through this expansion, Seocho-gu plans to proactively respond to the pertussis outbreak by supporting vaccinations not only for pregnant women between 27 and 37 weeks of gestation, who were previously eligible for free pertussis vaccination, but also for cohabiting family members caring for infants.

Seocho District Office building. Provided by Seocho District Office.

The district aims to reduce the incidence of pertussis and increase community immunity through this expanded vaccination target. Eligible recipients include pregnant women residing in Seocho-gu and cohabiting family members of infants under 12 months. Vaccinations can be administered upon application at Seocho-gu Public Health Center, Bangbae Health Branch, and Seocho Maternal and Child Health Branch. Detailed information is available on the vaccination page of the Seocho-gu Public Health Center website.

Pertussis is one of the most contagious pediatric infectious diseases and is currently spreading worldwide this year. In South Korea, it is spreading nationwide mainly among children and adolescents aged 7 to 19. Since it can cause serious complications in infants and children, timely vaccinations at 2, 4, and 6 months of age are recommended.

Infants under 1 year old are a high-risk group with the highest possibility of severe complications. It is important for family members caring for infants to protect them by following infectious disease prevention guidelines, including vaccination. Family members need to be vaccinated at least two weeks before contact with infants under 12 months.

Mayor Jeon Seong-su said, "We expect to better protect the health of infants through the expansion of free vaccination targets," adding, "We will continue to strive to proactively respond to infectious disease outbreaks."