Osan City to Provide Free Required Vaccinations

The Osan City Health Center (Director Kim Dong-hwi) announced that starting this year, it will cover the full cost of national required vaccinations for children aged 12 and under (born on or after January 1, 1999) with a residential address in the city when they receive vaccinations at contracted medical institutions.

According to the health center, there are a total of 10 national required vaccinations eligible for support: BCG (intradermal), Hepatitis B, DTaP, IPV, DTaP-IPV, MMR, Japanese encephalitis (inactivated), Varicella, Td, and Tdap.

Starting this year, guardians of vaccination-eligible children can receive free vaccinations by bringing their health insurance card and baby health record to a nearby contracted vaccination facility (31 locations).

Information about contracted vaccination facilities can be found on the Vaccination Helper website (http://nip.cdc.go.kr) and through smartphone apps (search for "vaccination" or "vaccination helper" on the Android Market or Apple App Store and download for free).

An official from the health center stated, "In an era of low birth rates, we expect that supporting vaccination costs at clinics and hospitals will help create an environment conducive to childbirth and reduce the economic burden on citizens, while also improving vaccination rates and promoting the health of infants and young children."