Publicly-funded flu vaccine starts on October 1, so you're in good hands!

The Disease Control Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) today held a press conference on the 111th annual publicly-funded influenza vaccination - "A Little Help for You", inviting Minister Xue Ruiyuan of MOHW, Director Chih-Hao Chou of the Disease Control Administration (DCDA), Epidemic Prevention Ambassador Yeung Yeh, and a vegetarian expectant mother and her preschooler to be the first to administer the vaccine on site. The press conference also called on the public, who are eligible for the publicly-funded influenza vaccine, to cooperate with the schedule of vaccination and complete the vaccination as soon as possible, so as to protect themselves and the health of their relatives and friends. They also called on those who are eligible for publicly-funded influenza vaccination to cooperate with the vaccination program and complete the vaccination as soon as possible, so as to protect themselves and the health of their friends and relatives.

Minister Xue said that this year (111) the government will continue to provide 6.3 million doses of quadrivalent publicly-funded influenza vaccine, influenza vaccination can reduce the risk of influenza infection and reduce the chance of serious illness, the protection lasts for about one year, so it is necessary to get vaccinated every year, and also do not forget to remind the nation the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine, the two types of vaccines can be administered on the same day in different arms. At the same time, we would like to thank the public and healthcare workers who have been cooperating with the immunization campaign for a long time for their assistance and dedication, and we hope that we will continue to work together to safeguard our health.

The immunization ambassador Yang Lie shared that he has not had any relapses since he was cured of cancer 17 years ago, and that he has paid great attention to his health since he got sick. He is now 69 years old, and he has a habit of boxing to maintain his health after filming on weekdays, and he has already received 4 doses of COVID-19 vaccine in order to enhance his protection against the onslaught of the new Crown Pneumonia outbreak in recent years. He also said that because of the upcoming flu season, he will roll up his sleeves to get the flu vaccine to fight against the flu and protect himself and his family, and hopes that his friends who have had or are currently suffering from serious illnesses will come together to get vaccinated and take care of their health.

The CDC pointed out that this year's publicly-funded influenza vaccine in two phases, the first phase began on October 1, the second phase began on November 1, in addition to 50 to 64 years old without high-risk chronic disease adults in the second phase of the vaccination time, the rest of the medical staff, elderly people over 65 years of age, long term care institutions, pre-school children, pregnant women, high-risk chronic disease, rare diseases, major injuries and illnesses, parents of infants, The rest, including medical personnel, elderly people aged 65 or above, staff of long-term care institutions, pre-school children, pregnant women, high-risk chronic diseases, rare diseases, patients with major injuries and diseases, parents of infants, staff of kindergarten and child care institutions, students, animal disease prevention personnel of the livestock industry, etc., will be enrolled in Stage 1.

Influenza vaccination is the most effective way to prevent influenza, with an average protection of 30-801 TP3T after vaccination, 411 TP3T for adults over 18 years old hospitalized due to influenza, and 821 TP3T for those with severe illnesses. The CDC also reminds the public that there are more than 4,000 contracted hospitals in Taiwan this year, so the public can use the websites of the local government's Department of Public Health to find out which contracted hospitals are nearby and then call them to make an appointment to ensure that they can get the flu vaccine, The public can first inquire about nearby contracted hospitals through the websites of local government health bureaus, the CDC's Influenza Prevention and Control Online (https://antiflu.cdc.gov.tw/), the CDC or the 1922 Epidemic Prevention Consultation Hotline, and then call the hospitals to make an appointment to ensure that the vaccine can be administered and to save time waiting in line. When you go for vaccination, you should bring your health insurance card and relevant documents (e.g., child health handbook, pregnant women's health handbook, etc.), wear a mask, keep a safe distance, and practice hand hygiene.