Vaccinations from Oct. 1 to 17 ran above last year's pace. The CDC expects a stable period through year-end but warns of another wave around the Lunar New Year.
Citing Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data, the United Daily News reported on Sunday that 3,240,421 influenza vaccine doses were administered from Oct. 1 to 17, up 9.5 percent from 2,958,755 in the same period last year. COVID-19 vaccinations reached 1,016,881 doses, up 37.2 percent from 741,194.
광고 문의 · 300×250The CDC attributed the larger rise in COVID-19 vaccination to incentives such as the health coupon, a recent increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases, and the lower side effects of this year's new COVID-19 vaccine.
Outlook for the Next Wave
The CDC said that, barring viral mutation, influenza and COVID-19 should remain relatively stable through the end of the year. But another flu and COVID-19 wave may come around the Lunar New Year in early 2027, so the public should not be complacent. It also noted that election rallies could increase opportunities for crowds to gather.
The agency framed disease spread in three dimensions: people, including susceptible groups, herd immunity and vulnerable populations; the pathogen, including mutation and whether transmissibility or fatality is rising; and the environment, including temperature, humidity, natural hosts and human activity.
Monitoring the SV.2.4 Variant
The CDC said SV.2.4 descends from NB.1.8.1 and belongs to the PQ.16.1.1 sub-lineage; neither the World Health Organization (WHO) nor the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control lists it separately. PQ.16.1.1 was placed under monitoring on July 27, and the WHO rates its overall public health risk as low, with no increase in severity observed. No data on vaccine protection against SV.2.4 or PQ.16.1.1 are available yet.
Taiwan first detected SV.2.4 in a local case on Aug. 4. By early October, 17 of 51 local PQ.16.1.1 cases, about 33.3 percent, were SV.2.4. In weeks 35 to 38, PQ.16.1.1 made up 57.4 percent of Omicron cases in Taiwan, and the CDC estimates nearly 20 percent of community COVID-19 infections are SV.2.4. Domestic cases have been declining since weeks 35 to 36.
The CDC said there is currently no evidence that SV.2.4 increases transmissibility, immune escape, severity or fatality, and that it will keep monitoring. It urged the public to get vaccinated, wash hands frequently and wear masks, especially at large gatherings. The report did not cover eligibility criteria, vaccine products or priority groups.