"Unexpected," Mother Flustered... Early Flu Spread Sparks Chuseok Concerns

[Anchor]

As the new school semester begins, a rapid spread of the flu centered around elementary school students is underway, alongside an increase in COVID-19 patients. With flu vaccinations yet to begin, extra caution is needed for health management during this seasonal transition.

Reporter Jeong Banseok has the details.

[Reporter]

A mother holding her 6-month-old child visited a hospital in Seoul.

Following her eldest child, an elementary school student, her third child has also contracted the flu.

[Jang Yeon-hee / Guardian of a 6-month-old: Both my children and I have never missed a single vaccination every year, but we hadn't gotten it yet because it's not time for the vaccination period this year. But now the flu has hit us so suddenly, and I am so flustered.]

In the fourth week of last month, suspected flu patients reached 13.3 per 1,000 outpatients, more than double the figure from the same period a year ago.

For elementary school students, the figure was 36.5 per 1,000, nearly three times the average across all age groups.

The outbreak of influenza has been unusually increasing since late August, and influenza is also spreading in countries such as Japan and China.

While the exact cause has not yet been identified, the reopening of schools is believed to have contributed to the spread.

[Bang Seung-jun / Pediatrician at Our Children's Hospital: Patients with the flu and COVID-19 have already been increasing significantly since August. With the children returning to school in September and other factors overlapping, the number of patients is surging...]

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency plans to issue a flu advisory as early as tomorrow (the 11th).

This is the earliest since 2009, when the H1N1 influenza spread.

Hospitalized COVID-19 patients also increased from 61 to 109 within a week, heightening concerns over a simultaneous epidemic.

[Park Wan-beom / Professor of Infectious Diseases at Seoul National University Hospital: Because it can spread simultaneously with COVID-19, it seems necessary to get vaccinated against both COVID-19 and the flu a bit earlier.]

Influenza vaccinations for children and pregnant women will begin on the 21st of this month, and for those aged 65 and older, on the 12th of next month.

Since it takes two weeks for antibodies to form, the virus could spread further during the Chuseok holiday.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency urged citizens to get vaccinated as quickly as possible according to the schedule and to follow preventive measures such as hand washing and wearing masks.

(Video Reported by Ha Ryung | Video Edited by Yoon Tae-ho | Design by Kim Han-gil)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.