The second phase of government-funded COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations is to begin on Saturday, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday, adding that there have been 18 cases of severe enterovirus infection this year, including 15 newborns, the highest number in six years.
CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Lee Chia-lin (李佳琳) said surveillance data showed that flu viruses were the most common respiratory viral pathogen in the past four weeks, with influenza A(H3N2) the dominant strain.
There were 110,422 hospital visits for flu-like illnesses last week, down 15.6 percent from the previous week, Lee said.
Photo: Hung Chen-hung, Taipei Times
Weekly numbers have fallen for three consecutive weeks, but remain at a high level, meaning the flu is still in its epidemic period, she said.
Thirty-eight cases of severe flu complications and 13 flu-related deaths were confirmed last week, with 95 percent of the severe cases and 85 percent of the deaths among people who were not vaccinated this flu season, she said.
CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said one of the youngest deaths confirmed last week was a nine-year-old boy who did not have underlying health conditions.
He began experiencing limb soreness and a fever in late September, followed by chills, vomiting, coughing and a runny nose, Lin said.
The boy tested positive for influenza A at a clinic, but on the same day, he developed severe symptoms, including altered consciousness, limb weakness, difficulty breathing and convulsions, so he was rushed to a hospital, where he was diagnosed with brain edema and necrotizing encephalopathy, Lin said.
The boy was admitted to an intensive care unit, but he died about a month after being hospitalized, he said.
CDC Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said that although hospital visits for flu-like illnesses have been declining, the CDC’s assessment is that the epidemic might continue until the middle of next month, so the expanded criteria for doctors to prescribe influenza antiviral medicines, which was due to end on Friday, would be extended to Nov. 15.
Another wave of flu infections might occur in mid to late December, and the numbers of mild and severe cases are expected to be higher than the current wave, so people should still get vaccinated, Lo said.
CDC Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) said that more than 3.96 million doses of government-funded flu vaccines had been administered since Oct. 1.
The second phase of flu and COVID-19 vaccinations funded by the government is to begin on Saturday, allowing people aged 50 to 64 without high-risk chronic conditions to get them, Lo said.
The number of vaccines administered in the first phase this year was exceptionally high, potentially the highest on record, but there would be about 2.2 million doses available in the second phase, and the CDC might purchase more if needed, he said.
Aside from contracted hospitals and clinics, vaccination sites in the second phase would also include 120 stations at Carrefour, PX Mart and Mega PX Mart branches across the nation, the CDC said.
Lee said there were 8,478 hospital visits for enterovirus infection last week, which is below the epidemic threshold, but a new severe case — a four-day-old — was reported last week.
The newborn girl was confirmed to have coxsackievirus A16, which is the dominant strain circulating in local communities, Lin said.
The child developed encephalitis during hospitalization, but recovered after nearly three weeks of treatment, Lin added.
There have been 18 cases of severe enterovirus infection, including eight deaths, so far this year, marking the highest for the period in six years, Lee said, adding that 15 were newborns.
People should remain vigilant and pay attention to signs of severe illness, especially in young children, she added.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Kaohsiung at 1pm today, the Central Weather Administration said. The epicenter was in Jiasian District (甲仙), 72.1km north-northeast of Kaohsiung City Hall, at a depth of 7.8km, agency data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in Kaohsiung and Tainan, where it measured a 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale. It also measured a 3 in parts of Chiayi City, as well as Pingtung, Yunlin and Hualien counties, data showed.
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
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