Measles vaccination coverage is relatively high in Taiwan, and there is no sign of a local large-scale measles outbreak, Taiwan Immunization Vision and Strategy chairman Lee Ping-ing (李秉穎) said yesterday.
Lee, who is also the convener of the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, made the remark at a news conference in Taipei for the advocacy group when responding to questions about recent local measles cases.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on Tuesday reported that a cluster of measles cases linked to a hospital in central Taiwan had grown to 16 people, while a total of 33 measles cases have been reported nationwide so far this year, comprising 21 local cases and 12 imported cases.
Photo: CNA
The CDC said that 3,123 people who have had contact with the confirmed hospital cluster cases have been identified and monitored for symptoms, the highest number of contacts monitored for measles in five years.
Lee said there were several clusters of measles in Taiwan, but none had spread widely throughout the country, mainly because the nation’s measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination coverage rate in children is more than 97 percent.
Taiwan’s vaccination policy has enabled it to better control the spread of measles, and so far the recent cluster cases have not shown signs of becoming a large-scale outbreak, he said.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease in which a person can infect on average 12 to 18 people who lack immunity.
As the risk of airborne infection is lower than through direct contact or respiratory droplets, people should avoid close contact with people and crowded venues to prevent infection, Lee said.
The identified contacts should immediately report to their local health department if they develop symptoms of measles, and avoid seeking medical attention on their own, he said, adding that they are advised to wear a mask at most times and avoid going to public venues.
Separately, when asked for comment on the measles cases, Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) said that Taiwan’s high vaccination coverage among children makes it difficult for a large-scale outbreak to occur.
“The measles situation is under control, and the ministry would continue to monitor the situation and ensure preventive measures are in place,” he said.
Meanwhile, the centers do not recommend the public rush to get vaccinated at this time, unless they are in a high-risk group, CDC Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) said.
“Not everyone needs to get vaccinated [now], but only those at higher risk,” Tseng said, adding that the CDC suggests that only three groups seek vaccinations.
The first group is children aged 12 months to five years, who are eligible for two doses of government-funded MMR vaccines, she said.
The first-dose rate coverage of this group has been about 98.7 percent, while the second-dose coverage is about 97.4 percent, she said.
The two groups recommended to seek out-of-pocket MMR vaccination are medical personnel born in or after 1981 who do have not had a positive measles antibody test result within five years and had received their last dose of an MMR vaccine at least 15 years ago; and people born in or after 1981 who are traveling to countries where measles is spreading, such as Vietnam, India or Cambodia, she said.
The latter group is advised to consult with a doctor before getting vaccinated, while measles is not known to be spreading in Japan or South Korea, she added.
Travel agencies in Taiwan are working to secure alternative flights for travelers bound for New Zealand for the Lunar New Year holiday, as Air New Zealand workers are set to strike next week. The airline said that it has confirmed that the planned industrial action by its international wide-body cabin crew would go ahead on Thursday and Friday next week. While the Auckland-based carrier pledged to take reasonable measures to mitigate the impact of the workers’ strike, an Air New Zealand flight arriving at Taipei from Auckland on Thursday and another flight departing from Taipei for Auckland on Saturday would have to
The manufacture of the remaining 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taiwan purchased from the US has recently been completed, and they are expected to be delivered within the next one to two months, a source said yesterday. The Ministry of National Defense is arranging cargo ships to transport the tanks to Taiwan as soon as possible, said the source, who is familiar with the matter. The estimated arrival time ranges from late this month to early next month, the source said. The 28 Abrams tanks make up the third and final batch of a total of 108 tanks, valued at about NT$40.5 billion
A group from the Taiwanese Designers in Australia association yesterday represented Taiwan at the Midsumma Pride March in Melbourne. The march, held in the St. Kilda suburb, is the city’s largest LGBTQIA+ parade and the flagship event of the annual Midsumma Festival. It attracted more than 45,000 spectators who supported the 400 groups and 10,000 marchers that participated this year, the association said. Taiwanese Designers said they organized a team to march for Taiwan this year, joining politicians, government agencies, professionals and community organizations in showing support for LGBTQIA+ people and diverse communities. As the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex
The Taipei City Government yesterday confirmed that it has negotiated a royalties of NT$12.2 billion (US$380 million) with artificial intelligence (AI) chip giant Nvidia Corp, with the earliest possible signing date set for Wednesday next week. The city has been preparing for Nvidia to build its Taiwan headquarters in Beitou-Shilin Technology Park since last year, and the project has now entered its final stage before the contract is signed. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city government has completed the royalty price negotiations and would now push through the remaining procedures to sign the contract before
RSS