S. Korean health authorities temporarily halt free flu vaccination program, citing distribution issues

독감 백신 무료접종 일시 중단... "유통 과정 문제"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.Kim Hyo-sun reports.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.Those are the free vaccines targeted for the country's teenagers aged 13 to 18,... who were initially subject to free immunization starting Tuesday.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.The KDCA highlights all this is because it prioritizes safety.It added the flu shots that were already distributed earlier this month for children under the age of nine are deemed safe.Health authorities have been keen on providing free flu shots to some 19 million people,... as they aim to prevent a so-called 'twindemic.'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.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.Kim Hyo-sun, Arirang News.