Korea to start Covid-19 vaccinations in October

This year's Covid-19 vaccinations will begin in October, the same time as the influenza vaccination for older adults, the Korean Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said on Monday. 

KDCA released a new Covid-19 vaccination plan for the 2024-2025 season that will be implemented later this year to reflect the latest introduction of new vaccine strains.

Covid-19 is one of the most lethal respiratory infectious diseases in the world, with a declining incidence after the pandemic but still a high mortality rate among people aged 65 and older.

As a result, major countries around the world are also routinizing annual vaccination of high-risk populations during the fall and winter seasons along with influenza vaccination.

In line with this global trend, it is highly recommended that Covid-19 vaccination for the 2024-2025 season be administered at the same time as influenza vaccination in Korea. It will start in October, preferably in time for the influenza vaccination of older adults.

People aged 65 and older who are at high risk, as well as those who are immunocompromised and hospitalized in infectious facilities, will be able to receive the vaccine for free, while the general public who are not at high risk will be able to receive the vaccine at their own expense.

KDCA said it will utilize a new vaccine that has been newly determined by the World Health Organization and others, considering the strain variants currently circulating globally, for the national vaccination in Korea. A new vaccine is being reviewed for approval in the U.S. and Europe, as well as in Korea.

To minimize confusion due to the minimum Covid-19 vaccination interval of three months and the introduction of a new vaccine, the existing 2023-2024 seasonal vaccination and the first half of 2024 high-risk vaccination will end on June 30.

"Vaccination remains the most effective response to protect high-risk groups, such as the elderly, from the threat of Covid-19," said Jee Young-mee, Commissioner of the KDCA. "We will work with frontline healthcare providers and public health centers to ensure that the new vaccine will build strong immunity this fall."