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School-age child flu rates 14 times higher this year as parents fret

Published: 21 Nov. 2025, 15:26 Updated: 21 Nov. 2025, 16:21

A notice about influenza vaccinations is posted at a pediatric clinic in Suwon, Gyeonggi, in September. [NEWS1]

A parent was stunned last weekend after rushing with their child to a pediatric clinic before opening hours, only to find more than 20 children and their guardians already waiting there — most of them seeking treatment for what appeared to be flu symptoms.

“It really hit me how widespread the flu is right now,” the parent said. “I heard several students in my child’s class have been absent.”

Influenza is spreading rapidly, especially among school-age children and teenagers, with cases rising for four consecutive weeks — now 14 times higher than during the same period in 2024. Health authorities are urging people to complete their vaccinations before winter sets in.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on Friday, 66.3 out of every 1,000 outpatients who visited 300 designated sentinel clinics nationwide from Nov. 9 to 15, the 46th week of the year, showed flu-like symptoms. The figure was just 7.9 from Oct. 12 to 18 (Week 42), but has sharply increased for four straight weeks: 13.6 from Oct. 19 to 25 (Week 43), 22.8 from Oct. 26 to Nov. 1 (Week 44) and 50.7 from Nov. 2 to 8 (Week 45).

Compared to 2024, the trend is far more pronounced. The most recent numbers, during Week 46, are 14.4 times higher than the 4.6 cases reported during the same week last year.

By age, cases were highest among children aged 7 to 12, at 170.4 children per 1,000, followed by teens aged 13 to 18 at 112.6 and preschoolers aged 1 to 6 at 105.6, showing that infections are concentrated among elementary, middle and high school students.

Hospitalizations have also been increasing for the past four weeks. The number of flu patients admitted to hospitals rose from 95 in Week 43 to 174 in Week 44, 334 in Week 45 and 490 in Week 46.

A child receives a flu shot at a pediatric clinic in September as the 2025-2026 national influenza vaccination program begins. [NEWS1]

Virus detection trends mirror patient counts. The influenza positivity rate among respiratory samples collected from outpatient clinics rose from 11.6 percent in Week 43 to 36.9 percent in Week 46 — 10 times higher than the 3.6 percent recorded during the same period in 2024.

The KDCA emphasized that those eligible for the national influenza vaccination program — children aged 6 months to 13 years, pregnant women and adults 65 or older — should get vaccinated as soon as possible. All eligible individuals can receive free shots at public health centers or designated clinics nationwide regardless of their registered address.

Since late September, vaccinations for the 2025–2026 flu season have been underway, with 11.08 million people vaccinated as of Tuesday. However, the inoculation rate among school-age children 7 to 13 — a group particularly vulnerable due to close-contact environments — remains relatively low at 47.2 percent as of Week 45.

The dominant flu strain circulating this season is influenza A (H3N2). While some mutations have been detected, the KDCA says the current vaccine remains effective.

“The most effective way to prevent the flu is vaccination,” said KDCA Commissioner Lim Seung-kwan. “We urge children, pregnant women and seniors who have not yet received their shots to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY NAM SOO-HYOUN [[email protected]]