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Busan Metropolitan City to Provide Free Influenza Vaccinations for the 2025-2026 Season

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will provide free influenza vaccinations from September 22, 2025, through April 30, 2026, in preparation for the upcoming winter flu season.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), influenza vaccination has a preventive effect of 70–90 percent, and significantly reduces the risk of severe illness and death when administered.

This year’s free vaccination program is aimed at groups with high risk of severe complications upon infection: ▲children aged 6 months to 13 years ▲pregnant women ▲senior citizens aged 65 and older ▲and socially vulnerable groups*. Vaccinations will be administered sequentially by age group.

*Socially vulnerable groups include basic livelihood and medical aid recipients, persons with severe disabilities, national merit awardees, and others.

Influenza poses serious health risks for the elderly, as infections can progress to pneumonia, complications, and even death, making vaccination especially critical.

In the 2024–2025 season, vaccination coverage among elderly residents in Busan was lower than the national average. To prevent the spread of infection within the community and safeguard public health, it is strongly recommended that high-risk individuals who have not yet received the vaccine do so as soon as possible.

Starting with the 2025–2026 season, the influenza vaccination program will switch from quadrivalent to trivalent vaccines in accordance with recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Immunization Advisory Committee* deliberations.
*Deliberations held in July 2024 and March 2025.

The trivalent vaccine excludes the influenza B Yamagata lineage virus, which has not been detected worldwide for an extended period, while maintaining equal effectiveness and safety compared to the quadrivalent vaccine.
※ The United States adopted this transition in the 2024–2025 season, while Japan, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom plan to do so from the 2025–2026 season.

Influenza vaccinations are available at designated medical institutions, which can be verified through the National Immunization Program website (nip.kdca.go.kr).

To prevent administration errors and confirm eligibility, individuals must bring identification or relevant documents when visiting vaccination centers. Those not eligible for free vaccination may receive the vaccine at their own expense.

For senior citizens aged 65 and older, COVID-19 vaccinations will also be available from October 15, 2025, on the same schedule, and co-administration of influenza and COVID-19 vaccines is strongly recommended.

Cho Gyu-yul, Director General of Citizens’ Health Bureau, stated, “Influenza vaccination is a highly effective means of reducing hospitalization and mortality among high-risk populations, while alleviating the overall burden of disease. I strongly urge everyone to make vaccination a priority—not only for your own health but also for the health of your loved ones and neighbors—so that we can all enjoy a warm and healthy winter.”