독감 백신 무료접종 일시 중단... "유통 과정 문제"<br /><br />The South Korean government was keen on providing free flu shots to the public to head off possible COVID-19 complications,... however,... it has temporarily put that plan on ice, citing problems in distribution.<br />Kim Hyo-sun reports.<br />South Korean health authorities are calling for a temporary halt to the free influenza vaccination program,... citing problems in the distribution of the seasonal vaccine doses.<br />Those are the free vaccines targeted for the country's teenagers aged 13 to 18,... who were initially subject to free immunization starting Tuesday.<br />The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has immediately put a halt on the supply of flu shots,... explaining that the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will test their safety before they are re-distributed.<br />The KDCA highlights all this is because it prioritizes safety.<br />It added the flu shots that were already distributed earlier this month for children under the age of nine are deemed safe.<br />Health authorities have been keen on providing free flu shots to some 19 million people,... as they aim to prevent a so-called 'twindemic.'<br />Those include children aged between 6 months to 18 years, pregnant women and those aged 62 years and above,... which account for some 37 percent of the country's population.<br />The KDCA and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety are set to brief the public soon on their decision to temporarily halt the free flu shot program.<br />Kim Hyo-sun, Arirang News.<br />
