Incheon Metropolitan City is encouraging elderly residents to participate in pneumococcal vaccinations ahead of Parents' Day on May 8.
Free vaccinations are available to seniors aged 65 and older, born on or before December 31, 1961. Eligible recipients can receive the 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) once in their lifetime at designated local medical institutions and public health centers. Participating medical institutions can be found on the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's "Vaccination Helper" website. Identification is required at the time of visit, and those with a prior vaccination record cannot be re-vaccinated.
Pneumococcus causes not only pneumonia but also severe infectious diseases such as otitis media, bacteremia, and meningitis. For elderly people with weakened immunity, the mortality rate from bacteremia reaches 60%, making prevention essential.
"With Parents' Day as an opportunity, we ask children to check whether their parents have been vaccinated," said Shin Byung-chul, Director of the Health and Welfare Bureau at Incheon Metropolitan City. "We also hope the elderly will actively participate in the program as part of their health management."
