The Korea Disease Control Agency (KDCA) and National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) have jointly published South Korea’s first national influenza annual report for the 2024-2025 season. This initiative follows a 2021 memorandum of understanding and ongoing collaboration to build and share COVID-19 big data. The report aims to provide comprehensive insights into influenza patient surveillance, disease burden, vaccination coverage, and vaccine effectiveness using linked big data from both agencies. The publication is intended to strengthen evidence-based policy for influenza prevention and management.
The report impacts children, seniors, and pregnant women, as well as healthcare providers and policymakers. Key findings include a peak physician-reported influenza rate of 99.8 per 1,000 in early 2025, the highest since 2016, with school-aged children (7–18 years) driving the outbreak. Hospital admissions peaked at 1,632 in week 2 of 2025, with 52.4% of admissions among those aged 65 and older. Vaccination coverage reached 70.0% for children aged 6 months–13 years, 81.6% for seniors, and approximately 160,000 pregnant women.
The annual report was released in April 2025 and is available on both agency websites. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, influenza-related healthcare costs have steadily increased, totaling KRW 629.5 billion for the 2024-2025 season. Big data analysis showed vaccine effectiveness: severe disease prevention ranged from 63.7% to 74.6%, mortality prevention from 38.1% to 81.1%, and infection prevention from 10.2% to 41.4%. The agencies plan ongoing evaluation and collaboration to adapt to changing influenza trends.
Frequently asked questions addressed in the report include: What is the main purpose of influenza vaccination? According to WHO and local data, it is to prevent severe illness and death among high-risk groups. How effective is the vaccine for seniors? The vaccine prevented up to 81.1% of deaths in this group, though infection prevention was below 20%. The agencies will continue monitoring vaccine effectiveness and adjust policies as needed.
The publication of South Korea’s first joint influenza annual report demonstrates a strong commitment to data-driven public health policy. The use of linked big data from KDCA and NHIS provides valuable insights into disease burden, vaccination coverage, and vaccine effectiveness. High vaccination rates and significant prevention of severe cases and deaths among seniors and children validate current strategies. However, the relatively low infection prevention rate in seniors suggests that further targeted measures may be needed. Ongoing collaboration and evaluation will be essential for optimizing influenza prevention and management in the coming years.