‘Korea should strengthen policy support for adult immunization amid rapid population aging’

"With half of Korea's population expected to be over 50 by 2035 and older consumers are expected to drive the economy in the future, the country needs to explore various policy approaches to increase public access to adult immunizations."

David Sinclair, Chief Executive at International Longevity Centre UK, said so at the “2024 Healthy Ageing Korea” forum, co-hosted by the British Embassy and GSK Korea at the embassy in Jung-gu, downtown Seoul.

The forum was organized to explore and discuss various solutions to prevent adult infectious diseases and improve the health of the population to prepare for a healthy old age in Korea, which has entered an ultra-aged society.

Experts in the health sector from both the U.K. and Korea, including the medical community, academia, patient organizations, government, and industry, attended the forum to present sessions and hold panel discussions on the theme of “Healthy Aging in Korea.”

"The Covid-19 pandemic has made the world recognize the importance of epidemic prevention and control, as well as the vulnerability of the elderly to infectious diseases," British Ambassador Colin Crooks said. "As the world's population ages, preventive measures to protect older adults are becoming an essential task for many countries, including the U.K., and we hope that this forum will provide a valuable opportunity to draw implications and examine the policy directions that Korea should take in the future to move beyond treatment to prevention."

Professor Cho Bi-ryong of the Department of Family Medicine at Seoul National University Hospital, who spoke on "Ahead of Healthy Aging: Adult Immunization and Healthy Aging," emphasized the importance of preventing diseases through appropriate immunization not only for infants and children but also for adults whose immune systems are declining, suggesting the importance and strategic direction of adult immunization.

"Immunization is one of the most cost-effective public health interventions to reduce the progression to preventable diseases in an aging society, but immunization rates are low in adults due to relatively poor access to vaccines compared to children," Professor Cho said.

He continued, "As vaccination can contribute to longer and healthier lives, immunization policies must move toward increasing convenience and accessibility, along with recognition of the importance of adult immunization."

Sinclair spoke on the theme of "Why we need to focus on healthy aging," stressing that health inequalities in an aging population are a challenge for all governments worldwide, and adult immunization can be part of the solution.”

Following the session, a panel discussion on "How to choose and focus on health equity in Korea's aging society?" focused on the importance of immunization to prevent disease. The panelists included Professor Kim Tae-hyun of the Graduate School of Public Health Yonsei University, Kim Jin-ah, secretary-general of the Korean Organization for Rare Diseases, Professor Cho, and Lim Sook-young, director-general of the Medical Safety and Prevention Bureau at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

"While immunization programs have been focused on infants and young children, there has been a relative lack of policy attention and efforts to immunize older adults, people with underlying medical conditions, and the immunocompromised, who may be more vulnerable to infectious diseases," Secretary-General Kim said. "Providing access to immunization for all citizens will help protect vulnerable groups and reduce the burden of disease in communities, ultimately contributing to a more equitable society for all citizens."

Kim emphasized that policy support for adult immunization programs should be strengthened.