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

The H1N1 Influenza Vaccination Program, which started to operate from 2009 to 2010, ended the 2009 H1N1 pandemic and addressed the shortcomings of the existing system. The first case of H1N1 influenza was confirmed in the United States on April 26, 2009 . In Korea, the first case was confirmed on May 2, 2009; by mid-August, the rate of reported cases of influenza-like illness was more than 2.67/1,000 persons, which meets the criterion for an epidemic. By early October, H1N1 influenza had rapidly spread across local communities, centering in schools, and by late October, the numbers had reached their highest at 45.00/1,000 persons. Because at that time, the influenza vaccine was dependent on foreign supplies, it was difficult to raise immunity in the population in a short time span. Nevertheless, to minimize the widespread and to put an early end to the epidemic, work on the domestic production of H1N1 influenza vaccine began at the end of April 2009. On October 21, 2009, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approved the H1N1 vaccine per individual without adjuvant, and on January 5, 2010, the H1N1 vaccine per group with adjuvant was also approved [25] .