Seongnam City to Protect Newborns with Free Pertussis Vaccinations for Pregnant Women, Spouses, and Both Sets of Parents

Vaccinations Available at Local Clinics Starting November 3
Preventing Infectious Diseases Among Close Contacts of Newborns

Seongnam City in Gyeonggi Province will launch a free pertussis vaccination program for pregnant women, their spouses, and both sets of parents starting November 3.

Seongnam City will offer free pertussis vaccinations for pregnant women, spouses, and both sets of parents starting November 3. Provided by Seongnam City

This initiative is being introduced for the first time this year to protect the health of pregnant women and newborns.

Pertussis is a respiratory infection characterized by paroxysmal coughing and is transmitted through the coughs of infected individuals.

It can be fatal for newborns with weak immune systems, but if a pregnant woman receives the vaccination, antibodies are transferred to the fetus, helping to prevent infection.

If family members living together also build immunity through pertussis vaccination, they can indirectly protect the newborn.

To this end, the city enacted an ordinance supporting pertussis vaccination on October 13 and has allocated a budget of 80 million won to vaccinate an estimated 1,800 people over the two months until the end of this year.

The free vaccination is available to: △ pregnant women between 27 and 36 weeks of gestation △ mothers within 60 days after childbirth △ spouses (including common-law partners) △ both sets of parents of the pregnant woman and her spouse (who are registered residents of Seongnam City).

If either the pregnant woman or her spouse is a Seongnam resident, both members of the couple are eligible for free vaccination.

If neither the pregnant woman nor her spouse is a Seongnam resident, both sets of parents are excluded from eligibility, even if they live in Seongnam.

To receive the vaccination, applicants must register as eligible recipients by submitting a copy of their ID and documents proving family relationships through the Seongnam City website (online application). After registration, they can visit one of the designated medical institutions (currently 229 locations) to get vaccinated.

The city will cover the entire cost of the vaccination, which amounts to 40,000 won per person.

A Seongnam City Public Health Center official stated, "Pertussis is a disease that can be sufficiently prevented through vaccination," and added, "We hope that by preventing infectious diseases among those in close contact with newborns, families can prepare for the birth of healthy babies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.