The Center for Disease Control (CDC) announced yesterday that more than 1.6 million free flu vaccines will be ready for people aged over 65 starting Sept. 22.
The CDC, which provides the vaccines for the elderly every autumn in a bid to reduce the incidence of the contagion among flu-prone elderly, faces an extra challenge this year.
SARS could return this winter and not only disrupt the inoculation service for flu but also confuse doctors' clinical judgment between the two commuicable diseases, the CDC said.
"The reported [number of] SARS cases [including confirmed and discarded cases] of around 3,000 left our medical system severely burdened. We have to work out supportive measures for the flu vaccination service," said Su Ih-jen (蘇益仁), CDC director-general.
The CDC will purchase over 1.6 million doses of the flu vaccine. The number of vaccines covers 80 percent of Taiwan's population over the age of 65, the center said.
The CDC will also provide medical workers, one of the groups likely to be infected with SARS, with free flu vaccines.
"The flu season is also the time SARS might come back. Besides, symptoms at the onset of the two diseases are very similar," Su said.
The free flu vaccination service for medical workers aims to protect them from being infected by patients, the CDC said.
The CDC planned to buy 300,000 flu vaccines for all medical workers. The vaccines will be ready for medical workers as of Sept. 15, one week earlier than the time the same vaccines will be available for the elderly.
Correct and quick clinical detection of SARS is a key factor in keeping the disease at bay. Labs in Taiwan and other countries have been equipped with SARS-detecting kits, said Su.
According to the CDC, in Taiwan, the flu season usually starts in the middle of November every year and climaxes around the Christmas holidays.
The climax, said the CDC, often lasts until the Lunar New Year vacation and begins to subside in February or March.
Taiwan's flu season concurs with the global trend of the disease, said Su.
Moreover, the mass rallies expected to occur for several months ahead of next year's presidential election might serve as breeding grounds for flus, Su noted.
The CDC estimated around 200,000 to 400,000 of the people over 65 might aid the spread of flu this year.
Government statistics showed nearly 21,000 people over the age of 60 were admitted to hospitals during the flu season last year and that 2,350 of them died.
Other official statistics indicate nearly 4,000 people over the age of 65 died of pneumonia and flu last year.
Flu vaccines, the CDC said, are effective in preventing the disease the bug away in 70 to 80 percent of healthy adults who receive inoculation.
About 30 to 40 percent of weak or diseased old people who receive flu vaccination can evade the bug, said the CDC.
Flu vaccinations can reduce 50 to 60 percent of the patients admitted to hospitals because of severe flu or flu complications. Flu vaccination can also cut flu mortality rate by 80 percent, the CDC added.
But the effectiveness of flu vaccines rarely lasts beyond a year. The effectiveness of flu vaccines usually wanes four to six months after inoculation, the CDC said.
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