The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) is considering expanding the number of people eligible for free influenza vaccinations.According to the KDCA on Friday, the agency has been conducting a study to determine which vaccines should included first in the national vaccination program
A government study found that 99.8% of 9,798 Koreans surveyed had Covid-19 antibodies. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA)'s National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Korean Society of Epidemiology announced the results of the third survey on Covid-19 antibody positivity rates.
The National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) said Thursday that it is launching a clinical trial to prepare for emerging infectious diseases, called the STRIVE study, in collaboration with the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).The NIID is part of the Korea Di
The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) has published a study in an international journal, finding its long-term care family counseling support project, “COMPASS,” beneficial to the health of family caregivers of long-term care recipients.The NHIS said Wednesday that the findings were based on
In a step toward restructuring the overconcentration of hospital beds in Seoul and neighboring cities, the government has announced a plan to restrain the growth of bed supply in regions where there is already an excessive number of beds compared to the local population and demand.Starting next year
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced on Sunday that it will postpone lowering the infectious disease status of Covid-19 from Level 2 to Level 4.If the pandemic is downgraded, mask mandates will be lifted from vulnerable facilities, case counting will be suspended, and the
Both assailants involved in the recent knife attack at Seohyeon Station in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, last Thursday, and at a high school in Daejeon on Saturday, had a history of mental illness but refused treatment, local news reports said.Some local psychiatrists said the nation’s Mental Health A
Ono Pharmaceuticals' colorectal cancer drug Braftovi (encorafenib) has been recognized as appropriate for reimbursement by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Evaluation Committee 18 months after it passed the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA)'s Cancer Disease Review Committee.The commit
Amid the signs of Covid-19’s resurgence, the medical community calls for prudence in adjusting its infectious disease status and easing quarantine measures.On Thursday, the Korean Medical Association (KMA) president visited the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) and called for a caut
For Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) patients to get reimbursement when they use Spinraza (nusinersen), it has become essential to prove the maintenance of the drug’s motor function, according to an insurance reviewing agency.The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) recently released t
Amid the signs of a resurgent Covid-19 pandemic, the government has begun to prepare for lowing it from a level-2 to a level-4 infectious disease. However, the government will carefully determine the timing of the transition after consulting with experts."We will continue to manage the quarantine si
A provision of the Medical Service Act that banned the sexual identification of fetuses has been brought back to the Constitutional Court. It is the second time since it was ruled unconstitutional in 2008.According to the medical community, the Constitutional Court is hearing a constitutional challe
The government has begun to discard many expired Covid-19 vaccines, raising criticism about failing to forecast demands correctly.According to data from the National Assembly's Budget Office, the budget for the Covid-19 vaccination program last year amounted to 3.2 trillion won ($2.5 billion). Of th
The share prices of Covid-19 diagnostic kit makers are rising amid concerns about the resurgence of the virus.As of 11:10 a.m., Seegene was trading at 23,350 won ($18.36), up 8.86 percent from the previous trading day. Stocks of other diagnostic kit makers also rose, as shown by SD Biosensor (11,800
Hospitals made about 60,000 illegal prescriptions for medical narcotics and other restricted drugs in the wake of the telemedicine, temporarily allowed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, a lawmaker said.Rep. In Jae-geun of the Democratic Party of Korea released the report on Friday based on his a
A clinical study has won regulatory approval to treat patients with extensive-disease (ED) small cell lung cancer (SCLC) by using self-derived natural killer (NK) cells in combination with chemotherapy.The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Friday that it decided to approve the trial at the seventh
Korea Biotechnology Industry Organization (Korea BIO) said on Thursday that it sincerely welcomed the government's revision of the tax law to support global competitiveness in the biopharmaceutical sector.Currently, national strategic technologies include only vaccines in the bio sector, but the rev
Jung Ki-suck, the new president of the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS), has revealed his intention to change the overall reimbursement system to prevent erosion in the coverage of essential medical services.For instance, Jung will increase reimbursements for surgeries and other medical prac
"Each country has different and complex food, medical and pharmaceutical regulations. Depending on whether they have a memorandum of understanding with foreign regulatory agencies, there is a big difference in information sharing and cooperation. Therefore, the Global Policy and Strategy for Food an
Korea’s health level, access to healthcare, hospital beds, and medical equipment are higher than the OECD average, but its numbers of clinicians and nurses are lower, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare Tuesday.The ministry said so based on its analysis of the Organization for Economic C