The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said on Tuesday it would provide free 13-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines (PCV13) from Jan. 1 to disadvantaged children under the age of five to help prevent the spread of pneumonia and meningitis.
The vaccine can build up strong immunity to the pneumococcal serotype 19A strain, which is a major threat to children, Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Shih Wen-yih (施文儀) said.
PCV13 costs about NT$3,200 per dose, Shih said.
Children should have their first injection when they are between two months and six months old, their second and third shots under the age of two and a final dose between the ages of two and five, he said.
Taiwan recorded 737 cases last year. Four children, from a total of 224 cases in which the patients were under the age of five, died of the disease.
Disadvantaged children born after Jan. 1, 2007, will be eligible for one free shot of PCV13 even if they have already been vaccinated with earlier strains.
The CDC began sponsoring the vaccinations for 25,000 children from poor families and remote areas in 2009.
New Taipei City (新北市), Yilan County and Kinmen County provide free vaccinations for children aged between two and five, while Hsinchu County provides them for children aged between two and three, and Taipei City provides one vaccination to disabled children aged between two and five.
A study published by online booking platform Expedia revealed searches for travel to Taipei have ballooned 2,786 percent following the lifting of COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions due to the city being a “designation dupe” for Seoul. The TikTok trend for duping — referring to substituting a designation for a more inexpensive alternative — helped propel interest in Taipei, it said in a consumer survey titled “Unpack ‘24,” which was conducted from September to October in 14 countries. Location dupes are “every bit as delightful as the tried-and-true places travelers love,” Expedia trend tracker Melanie Fish said of the year’s popular alternatives, which
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