Yangcheon-gu expands free flu vaccination program

Seoul's Yangcheon-gu announced Monday it will significantly expand eligibility for free influenza vaccinations to better protect residents from infectious diseases.

The district has been working to close the vaccination gap for residents aged 15 to 64 who fall outside the national free vaccination program. Last year, it extended coverage to vulnerable groups including basic livelihood recipients, near-poverty households, and workers at elderly care, child welfare and other social welfare facilities. This year, the district added community workers in regular contact with residents — including neighborhood unit heads and community council members — further broadening the program's reach.

To support the expansion, the district revised its local ordinance on influenza vaccination support in July, establishing a legal basis for the new eligibility categories. Neighborhood unit heads and community council members were added as new beneficiaries. The volunteer threshold was also sharply lowered — from 200 or more hours per year to just four or more hours of volunteer activity within the district in the given year — allowing more residents to qualify for free vaccination.

As a result, the total number of Yangcheon-gu residents eligible for the district's free vaccination program this year will reach about 30,000. The existing pool covers residents aged 15 to 64 with disabilities and other vulnerable groups; roughly 10,000 neighborhood unit heads, community council members and qualifying volunteers have been added.

The district also expanded its network of participating medical institutions to keep pace with the larger eligible population, signing new contracts with 23 clinics this year to bring the total number of contracted facilities to 145. A full list of participating institutions is available on the Yangcheon-gu Public Health Center website. Vaccinations will be offered from Oct. 6 through April 30, 2027. Eligible residents must bring identification and supporting documents — such as a volunteer activity certificate — confirming their eligibility at the time of vaccination.

"We have significantly lowered the barrier to free vaccination so that those who meet and serve residents throughout the community can carry out their activities more safely," District Mayor Lee Gi-jae said. "We will continue building a tighter local health and safety network to protect residents from infectious diseases."