Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀) yesterday said if a batch of 200,000 doses of enhanced influenza vaccines, which are to be introduced for the first time into the publicly funded vaccination program next month, prove to be effective, the ministry would purchase more next year.
The Federation for the Welfare of Taiwan’s Seniors yesterday held a news conference in Taipei to promote flu vaccination and disease prevention among older people, inviting health officials, physicians and lawmakers.
The federation’s chairperson Fang Li-hsiu (方力脩) said Taiwan has been providing publicly funded flu vaccines to older people for almost 30 years, but with changes in population structure, vaccine development and long-term care services, policies for older people should keep up.
Photo: Taipei Times
He said the federation appreciates the government policy of introducing enhanced flu vaccines in the public-funded vaccination program this year, but the amount purchased this year is very limited, and they hope more can be offered to older people next year.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) last month announced that among the more than 7 million doses of publicly funded flu vaccines purchased for the new flu season starting in October, 200,000 doses of enhanced flu vaccines are included, which would be prioritized for long-term care facilities.
At the event, CDC Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) yesterday said Taiwan is the first country in Asia to include enhanced flu vaccines in its national vaccination program.
There are two brands of enhanced flu vaccines this year, a vaccine by TTY Biopharm, which would be available from Oct. 1, and a vaccine by Sanofi that would be available later in the same month, he said, adding that residents and workers of 11 types of long-term care facilities would be eligible for the new vaccines.
Flu activity is climbing early this year, with more than 100,000 medical visits for flu-like illnesses already reported in a week, and flu viruses are expected to spread faster with students returning to school. Infection risk for adults and older adults is likely to increase when it enters an epidemic period.
Huang Li-min (黃立民), a professor of National Taiwan University Hospital, said that older people might have a weaker immune response to the traditional flu vaccines, but the enhanced vaccines can improve the defensive performance by about 20 percent.
Lin said Taiwan’s COVID-19 prevention performance received international praise, but disease prevention measures should be practiced every day, and as Taiwan is a super-aged society, it is important that the senior population get correct information about vaccines and get vaccinated.
She said if many people are willing to get the enhanced flu vaccines and they prove effective, then the ministry would try to acquire up to 600,000 doses for the publicly funded vaccination program next year.
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