Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said the government would start providing rotavirus vaccination to infants free of charge from Monday.

Rotavirus, which is common in infants and young children, spreads easily through a child's hands and mouth from contaminants on diapers or toys. 

There are also cases of group infection in postpartum care centers or daycare centers.

The virus can cause vomiting, high fever, and severe diarrhea and can cause dehydration in immunocompromised newborns, which can be fatal.

Due to the possible severity of the virus, Korea recommends rotavirus vaccination for newborns after six weeks of age. However, some parents are hesitant to seek vaccination for their children due to the high price of the vaccine.

According to KDCA data, the number of newborns who have not been vaccinated against rotavirus in 2020 was 21,728 out of a total of 274,221 newborns, accounting for 7.9 percent.

Also, statistics over the past five years showed that 222,565 people, or 14.8 percent, of infants and young children eligible for rotavirus vaccinations, failed to receive the shot.

The cost of vaccination for the rotavirus vaccine is relatively expensive -- priced at around 200,000 won to 300,000 won ($154-231).

In Korea, patients can choose between two types of vaccines -- GSK's Rotarix and MSD's RotaTeq. Rotarix requires the infant to receive two doses, each costing about 70,000 won to 100,000 won, while RotaTeq requires three doses, costing about 100,000 won to 130,000 won. Cross-vaccination is not permitted.

GSK and MSD raised the price of Rotarix and RotaTeq in 2020, increasing the cost burden on consumers.

Accordingly, the government has included the rotavirus vaccine in its National Immunization Program (NIP) and decided to provide free vaccination for infants from two to six months of age.

Health authorities also stressed that even if a parent has paid for the first shot, they can receive the rest of the vaccination for free.

"It is expected that the introduction of rotavirus vaccination in the NIP will lower the cost burden for parents, who needed about 200,000 to 300,000 won for vaccination, and reduce the incidence of rotavirus infection in infants," the KDCA said.