Gyeonggi Province to Conduct Door-to-Door Vaccination for Elderly and Mental Health Facilities Through November 26

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] With the booster vaccination schedule for COVID-19 vaccines for seniors aged 60 and above and workers at mental health facilities shortened from 6 months after completion of initial vaccination to 4 months, Gyeonggi Province is implementing a plan to visit nursing hospitals and care facilities in the province to administer vaccines directly.

The province plans to complete additional vaccine vaccinations for nursing hospitals by November 26.

Gyeonggi Province announced on the 19th that it is organizing 86 mobile vaccination teams comprising 315 personnel across 31 cities and counties in the province and is coordinating specific visiting schedules with elderly and mental health care facilities in the province.

The government previously held a Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting on the 17th to shorten the vaccination schedule for some booster vaccination recipients as the number of confirmed cases and severe patients increased due to reduced vaccine effectiveness.

Previously, seniors aged 60 and above, those admitted or residing in or working at infection-vulnerable facilities (nursing hospitals, care facilities, various social welfare facilities, etc.), and medical staff—for whom the booster interval was previously 6 months after completion of initial vaccination—have been adjusted to 4 months after completion of initial vaccination.

People in their 50s and priority vaccination occupational groups (soldiers, police, firefighters, etc.) have also changed from 6 months after completion of initial vaccination to 5 months after.

Among these, the province plans to provide support sequentially from facilities that have completed schedule consultations, targeting nursing hospitals and care facilities that require door-to-door vaccination, with the aim of completing vaccination by November 26.

Vaccination for those receiving institutional vaccinations at medical facilities such as healthcare workers has been ongoing since the 17th.

Those among booster vaccination recipients who wish to be vaccinated quickly can receive same-day vaccination using residual vaccines starting on the 22nd.

Those wishing to receive vaccinations through individual advance reservations can make reservations starting on the 22nd (available 2 weeks before their eligible vaccination period) through the COVID-19 Vaccination Advance Reservation website (https://ncvr.kdca.go.kr).

The vaccination date can be selected from December 6 onwards in consideration of vaccine distribution schedules and other factors.

Ryu Young-chul, Director of Gyeonggi Province's Department of Health and Welfare, said, "It is important to respond to the increase in new confirmed cases and severe patients due to the spread of the delta variant and breakthrough infections," adding, "Since early booster vaccination is necessary to lower the risk of severe illness and death, we are making every effort to complete vaccinations for door-to-door vaccination recipients at nursing hospitals and facilities during November."