Pocheon City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Baek Young-hyun) announced on the 20th that it has been providing free influenza vaccinations since September for high-risk groups such as children, pregnant women, and seniors aged 65 and over in preparation for the possible simultaneous outbreak of COVID-19 and the flu.
Currently, the influenza vaccination rate in Pocheon City is 79.94% (Gyeonggi Province average 78.5%). The city emphasized the importance of personal hygiene practices and vaccination, noting an increase in suspected influenza cases over the past five weeks, and urged citizens with weakened immunity to get vaccinated promptly.
Additionally, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency stated that as of the first week of this month, the number of suspected influenza patients was 7.3 per 1,000 people, which is below the epidemic threshold of 8.6, but due to a continuous upward trend, there is a possibility of an epidemic advisory being issued by the end of the year.
The free influenza vaccination targets are ▲children (born between January 1, 2011, and August 31, 2024) ▲pregnant women ▲seniors aged 65 and over (born before 1959).
Vaccinations are available until April 30 of next year and can be received free of charge at designated local clinics without a separate reservation. Information on designated medical institutions can be found on the Vaccination Helper website and the Pocheon City Public Health Center website.
Park Eun-sook, Director of the Public Health Center, said, “Influenza vaccination is the most effective way to protect your health during the winter season,” and added, “We hope that citizens who belong to high-risk groups will actively participate in getting vaccinated.”
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