Opposition Party Lawmaker Criticizes Korean Government's Retreat From Funding Vaccinations

Article reprinted from "PharmAsia News"- October 12, 2010

SEOUL - A minor opposition party lawmaker accused the Korean government of backing down from its earlier stance to help fund compulsory vaccinations for diseases such as hepatitis B.

Opposition Party Lawmaker Criticizes Korean Government's Retreat From Funding Vaccinations

Article reprinted from "PharmAsia News"- October 12, 2010

SEOUL - A minor opposition party lawmaker accused the Korean government of backing down from its earlier stance to help fund compulsory vaccinations for diseases such as hepatitis B.

Currently, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis and Baxter as well as Korean firms Green Cross and Boryung are the main suppliers of the vaccines, according to Green Cross.

To address South Korea's low birth rate, seen triggered in part by the increasing burden of medical expenses, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and its Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have said they would cut the average individual payment for compulsory vaccinations at private hospitals and clinics to KRW 2,000 ($1.77) from KRW 15,000 ($13.25) beginning in December.

The ministry earlier announced it was going to make up the difference of the vaccination costs through the Health Promotion Fund, special budgetary spending set aside to support potential national compulsory vaccinations.

But according to Democratic Labor Party lawmaker Kwak Jung-sook, the budget for next year submitted by KCDC includes a Health Promotion Fund of only KRW 14.44 billion ($12.76 million) for the year, a sharp decrease from the KRW 67.53 billion ($59.66 million) that KCDC had originally set for the fund.

In a policy report to the National Assembly in February, the health ministry said it was going to ease individual spending for vaccinations related to pregnancy and childbirth by December. In budget meeting discussions, ministry officials said they were working to reduce the spending as part of a new government policy to help low-income citizens.

Currently, children up to age 12 are required to receive a total of 22 inoculations, including eight types of vaccinations to prevent 11 communicable diseases such as hepatitis B.

Although vaccinations at the government's public health centers are free, people often use private hospitals and clinics because of appointment convenience and geographic proximity in their neighborhood.

With the weak government support for vaccinations, lawmaker Kwak said South Korea's mandatory vaccination rate is only 75 percent, much lower than the 95 percent recommended by OECD.

Kwak's Democratic Labor Party has five seats in South Korea's 299-seat National Assembly. Kwak is a member of the parliament's Health and Welfare Committee,

Health Ministry and KCDC officials were not available for comment.

The Korean government plans to build a flu vaccine plant to increase the country's independent capacity to manufacture vaccines and diminish its reliance on multinational manufacturers ('South Korean Government To Build New Flu Vaccine Plant As Part Of Vaccine Independence From Global Giants,' PharmAsia News, Sept. 7, 2010).

- Peter Chang

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