The Korean Influenza National Immunization Program: History and Present Status

Yun, Jae-Won; Noh, Ji Yun; Song, Joon Young; Chun, Chaemin; Kim, Yunju; Cheong, Hee Jin

Influenza virus causes substantial social and economic losses not only by affecting job performance in healthy adults but also by increasing morbidity and mortality in high-risk groups, such as elderly adults, people with chronic conditions, infants, and pregnant women. In addition to causing annual outbreaks during winter, the influenza virus can undergo antigenic drift/ shift and has the potential to cause worldwide pandemics every 10-40 years. Therefore, from a public health perspective, influenza is a disease that requires international surveillance and preparation [1] . To reduce the disease burden of influenza virus and improve public health, South Korea has implemented, with excellent results, the national immunization program (NIP) for influenza. Among the countries that are a part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, South Korea had the second highest influenza vaccination rate for people aged ≥65 years in 2013 [2] . However, to our knowledge, accurate Yun JW, et al. • The Korean Influenza National Immunization Program www.icjournal.org 248 summaries on the origins of influenza NIP and the changes made to reach its present form do not exist. Therefore, we sought to outline the course of influenza NIP transformation since its inception in 1997 and to review its present status.