The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday announced that it would make 200,000 doses of a protein-based Novavax vaccine targeting the JN.1 subvariant of COVID-19 available to the public from Wednesday next week.
The vaccine was an alternative for those who previously had an adverse reaction to more common mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, the CDC said.
The Novavax JN.1 jabs would be available to those who are 12 years old or above, CDC Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-huai (曾淑慧) said.
Photo: Taipei Times
Meanwhile, 1.7 million out of the 5.5 million doses of Moderna’s mRNA-based JN.1 COVID-19 vaccine procured by the CDC have already been administered, CDC statistics showed.
As Taiwan is well-stocked with mRNA vaccines, unvaccinated people, particularly those who are 65 or older and those with chronic illnesses, should get a shot as soon as possible to lower the chances of developing terminal symptoms due to COVID-19, Tseng said.
People should also be aware that it takes two weeks for a vaccine to begin providing protection against COVID-19, Tseng added.
In other developments, the CDC said 94,882 visits to emergency departments and outpatient clinics for flu-like symptoms were reported from Dec. 15 to Saturday last week, a 16 percent increase compared with the number of cases recorded the previous week.
Among those who visited emergency departments in that period, 10.8 percent were due to flu-like illnesses, very close to the epidemic threshold of 11 percent, it said.
CDC Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-huai (曾淑慧) warned that in winter, viruses targeting the human respiratory system are more active, and with year-end activities such as Christmas celebrations and New Year’s gatherings, the risk of disease transmission is increasing.
She urged people who have not yet received a flu jab, especially those in high-risk groups, to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
The CDC on Tuesday last week announced that free flu vaccines would be offered to all unvaccinated residents in Taiwan aged 6 months or older starting on Jan. 1 until the vaccine supply is used up.
DEFENSE: The National Security Bureau promised to expand communication and intelligence cooperation with global partners and enhance its strategic analytical skills China has not only increased military exercises and “gray zone” tactics against Taiwan this year, but also continues to recruit military personnel for espionage, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said yesterday in a report to the Legislative Yuan. The bureau submitted the report ahead of NSB Director-General Tsai Ming-yen’s (蔡明彥) appearance before the Foreign and National Defense Committee today. Last year, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted “Joint Sword-2024A and B” military exercises targeting Taiwan and carried out 40 combat readiness patrols, the bureau said. In addition, Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s airspace 3,070 times last year, up about
Taiwan is stepping up plans to create self-sufficient supply chains for combat drones and increase foreign orders from the US to counter China’s numerical superiority, a defense official said on Saturday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, the official said the nation’s armed forces are in agreement with US Admiral Samuel Paparo’s assessment that Taiwan’s military must be prepared to turn the nation’s waters into a “hellscape” for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Paparo, the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, reiterated the concept during a Congressional hearing in Washington on Wednesday. He first coined the term in a security conference last
A magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 8:31am today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was located in Hualien County, about 70.3 kilometers south southwest of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 23.2km, according to the administration. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County, where it measured 3 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 2 in Hualien and Nantou counties, the CWA said.
The Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) yesterday announced a fundraising campaign to support survivors of the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, with two prayer events scheduled in Taipei and Taichung later this week. “While initial rescue operations have concluded [in Myanmar], many survivors are now facing increasingly difficult living conditions,” OCAC Minister Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) told a news conference in Taipei. The fundraising campaign, which runs through May 31, is focused on supporting the reconstruction of damaged overseas compatriot schools, assisting students from Myanmar in Taiwan, and providing essential items, such as drinking water, food and medical supplies,
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