The government-funded COVID-19 vaccination program is from Jan. 1 to Feb. 28 next year to be expanded to cover all residents aged six months or older, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said today.
With the year-end holidays and the Lunar New Year travel period approaching and set to bring an increased movement of people, there could be another wave of infections around May next year, based on past trends, CDC spokesperson Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said.
The decision to expand the COVID-19 vaccination program was made following consultations with experts from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Dec. 9, the CDC said, adding that the goal is to boost immunity and reduce the risk of severe illness and death.
Photo: CNA file photo
At present, free COVID-19 shots are offered only to 10 high-risk groups, including people aged 50 or older, children aged six months to six years, healthcare workers, pregnant women and people aged six months or older with chronic health conditions or diseases.
The expanded program at the start of next year would cover all Taiwanese residents, including foreign nationals with alien resident certificates and alien permanent resident certificates.
More people have received COVID-19 shots so far this year than in the same period last year, CDC statistics show.
Among them, the number of doses administered to those aged 65 or older has increased 30.7 percent year-on-year, while the number for people aged 50 to 64 rose 18.3 percent.
Taiwan administers Moderna's LP.8.1 and Novavax's JN.1 vaccines, both shown to be safe and effective against the COVID-19 NB.1.8.1 and XFG variants, the CDC said.
People aged 12 or older can choose either vaccine brand, while children aged six months to 11 years are only eligible for the Moderna LP.8.1 vaccine, it said.
The risk of severe illness from COVID-19 remains higher than influenza, the CDC said, adding that people should get vaccinated early to ensure adequate protection before the Lunar New Year holidays.
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