The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has set its budget for next year at 1.43 trillion won ($1.03 billion), up 7.4% from this year. The agency will expand its national immunization program, switching to a 9-valent vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) and replacing the pneumococcal vaccine for people aged 65 and over with a protein-conjugate vaccine that offers broader protection and longer-lasting immunity.
The agency said on the 1st that its 2027 budget proposal totals 1.4347 trillion won, an increase of 98.8 billion won from 1.3359 trillion won this year.
By program, spending on national immunization rises to 694.8 billion won next year from 639.2 billion won this year, an increase of 55.6 billion won, or 8.7%. The state-supported HPV vaccine will be switched from the current version, which protects against four virus types, to a 9-valent vaccine, and eligibility for adolescent boys will be extended from age 12 to age 13. Eligibility for state-funded influenza vaccination among adolescents will also widen to those aged 15 and under, from 14 and under at present.
The pneumococcal vaccine provided to people aged 65 and over will shift from the current polysaccharide vaccine to a protein-conjugate vaccine. The conjugate vaccine protects against a broader range of pneumonia and forms long-term immune memory, so its protective effect lasts longer. The related budget was set at 41.8 billion won next year, more than triple this year's 13.6 billion won.
Funding for responses to emerging infectious diseases will also grow. The agency newly allocated 25.5 billion won to purchase antiviral drugs for use during infectious disease crises and 5 billion won to buy and replace personal protective equipment for medical staff and other response personnel. Notably, the budget for comprehensive management of emerging infectious disease crises will rise 243.9% to 36.8 billion won from 10.7 billion won this year. The agency will spend 18.4 billion won to build an infectious disease hospital for the Honam region, scheduled to open in the first half of next year, and newly allocated 6.9 billion won for the operation and management of national infectious disease beds.
Research and development spending to prepare for future pandemics will also increase. The budget for supporting mRNA vaccine development rises 53.4% to 40.5 billion won from 26.4 billion won. The agency newly allocated 8 billion won for the K-AI PPX, a Korean pandemic preparedness engine that uses artificial intelligence to support the entire vaccine development process from pathogen analysis to antigen design and entry into clinical trials, and 1.5 billion won for the development of mRNA antibody treatments.
Support for rare diseases will be strengthened. The related budget increases 50% to 8.3 billion won from 5.5 billion won, and the number of subsidized rare disease diagnoses will expand to 2,713 a year from 1,150. The number of regional specialized institutions for rare diseases will grow to 21 from 19, and the income and asset criteria applied to family members legally obligated to provide support, long used in selecting recipients of medical expense assistance, will be phased out starting next year.
"We drew up the budget with a focus on the shift to next-generation vaccines and wider vaccination eligibility, expanded surveillance and stockpiling systems for emerging infectious diseases, support for rare and chronic diseases, and innovation in mRNA vaccines and treatments and AI-based R&D," KDCA Commissioner Lim Seung-kwan said.
