Taipei: A new flu vaccine will be available for free to certain residents in Taiwan, starting Oct. 1, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Tuesday. At a press briefing Tuesday, CDC spokesperson Tseng Shu-hui announced the introduction of new trivalent flu vaccines, following World Health Organization guidance to replace the quadrivalent version, which excludes the B/Yamagata strain that has not caused outbreaks since March 2020.
According to Focus Taiwan, elementary, high school, and first to third grade junior college students can receive their shots at school, contingent upon their parents signing online consent forms. For the new program, the government has procured over 6.86 million doses of flu vaccine from five manufacturers, with 47.5 percent supplied by Taiwan's Adimmune Corp.
As observed in recent years, Taiwan aims to launch its free vaccination program ahead of the annual flu season, which typically starts in November, peaks during winter, and wanes by March. The program will be executed in two phases. The first phase targets eligible groups including minors aged 6 months through senior high school, seniors aged 65 and older, medical workers, individuals with high-risk, chronic, rare, or serious diseases, pregnant women, parents of babies under 6 months old, and employees at preschools and childcare centers.
During this initial phase, free vaccines will additionally be accessible to nursing home residents and staff, medical and public health personnel, individuals working in poultry or livestock farming, and animal quarantine staff. The second phase, commencing on Nov. 1, will extend free vaccine eligibility to individuals aged 50-64, as per the CDC.