[Edaily Reporter An Chi-yeong ] It has been revealed that because the government’s issuance of a flu epidemic advisory this year was delayed compared to the actual peak of the outbreak, high-risk groups—such as children aged 9 and under and seniors aged 65 and older—were burdened with unnecessary testing and medication costs. While the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) maintains that the criteria for issuing the flu epidemic advisory, newly established this year, were met, critics argue that the system should be improved to enable a rapid response aligned with the actual outbreak, rather than applying epidemic criteria based solely on administrative convenience.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on the 27th, the number of suspected flu cases in Week 34 of this year (August 16–22) was 9.2 per 1,000 outpatients, exceeding the epidemic threshold for the previous 2025–2026 season (9.1) and indicating epidemiological signs of an outbreak. The virus detection rate was also 10.0%.

In particular, during Week 35 (August 23–29), the number of suspected cases rose to 13.3, and the virus detection rate climbed to 12.3%, already meeting the criteria for issuing an epidemic alert for this year’s new season. However, as Week 36 (August 30–September 5) began, the number of suspected cases soared to 25.3—nearly double the new seasonal epidemic threshold of 12.9—and the virus detection rate reached 16.3%. Starting this year, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) revised its criteria to issue an epidemic alert after consulting with experts if the proportion of suspected cases exceeds the seasonal threshold and the virus detection rate is 5% or higher.

The issue is that the medical costs borne by patients vary depending on when the alert is issued. Normally, high-risk groups—such as children aged 9 and under and adults aged 65 and older—must test positive for the flu to receive a prescription for oseltamivir (Tamiflu, etc.) covered by health insurance.

However, once an epidemic alert is issued, they can receive a covered prescription based solely on suspected symptoms, without the need for a test. Consequently, some critics argue that the government was slow to issue the epidemic alert regarding the flu outbreak itself and point out that this has resulted in unnecessary medical expenses.

The flu is not a simple cold but a respiratory disease that can lead to pneumonia, heart attacks, and strokes. It is particularly deadly for high-risk groups, such as the elderly, children, and those with chronic illnesses.

In response, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) stated that not only did this year’s outbreak begin unusually early, but the timing also coincided with the end of the 2025–2026 season and the establishment of criteria for the new season (2026–2027). A KDCA official said, “Based on past standards, one could argue that issuing the alert around the end of August would have been sufficient.”

The government was already aware of the issue that epidemic alerts could lag behind the actual outbreak. A study on “Improving Influenza Epidemic Thresholds” conducted by the KDCA last year pointed out that the issuance of alerts could be delayed by about one to two weeks due to reporting procedures and expert consultation processes. The research team suggested that a plan could be considered to issue alerts immediately—without going through expert consultation again—once pre-agreed thresholds are exceeded.

Even within the government, there are calls to revise the current “season-based” alert system in light of this year’s early outbreak. A government official explained, “Currently, flu surveillance operates on a seasonal basis,” adding, “In light of situations like this year, where the outbreak began earlier than expected, we need to consider how to supplement the current criteria.”

In particular, the outbreak among children was especially early this year. In Week 36, the number of suspected cases was 75.1 per 1,000 for children aged 7–12 and 49.8 per 1,000 for those aged 1–6, significantly exceeding the overall average of 25.3 per 1,000. Consequently, some have pointed out the need to reset seasonal thresholds or implement flexible responses tailored to the outbreak patterns across different age groups. The official said, “As our assumption that the flu is seasonal is being called into question, we must prepare a flexible response that aligns with the actual outbreak situation.”

Calls have also emerged in the National Assembly to swiftly improve the system for issuing epidemic alerts. Rep. Seo Mi-hwa of the Democratic Party of Korea emphasized, “This year’s flu response appears to have been driven by administrative convenience, which undermines the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s core goal of advancing the infectious disease crisis management system,” adding, “It is urgent to reorganize the administrative system to enable rapid responses by region, age group, and season, based on research studies that have already been conducted.”