CORONAVIRUS/CDC urges public to get XBB vaccine for fast changing COVID-19

Taipei, Jan. 5 (CNA) People should get at least one shot of the XBB vaccine due to the evolution of COVID-19 subvariants, Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended on Friday.

In an interview, CDC Deputy Director General Lo Yi-chun (羅一鈞) cited new American research showing that even with the disease's rapid viral mutations, people who are vaccinated will be marginally more protected from the virus than those unvaccinated after half a year.

"Like flu vaccines, COVID-19 vaccines need to be updated as the strain evolves," Lo said.

"Adults who have not received the XBB vaccine are as vulnerable to developing mild symptoms and being hospitalized as those who have not received a single shot of the vaccine after six to nine months from their last COVID-19 vaccine."

The American study found that adults who get the XBB vaccine are more protected from being hospitalized and developing mild symptoms by 63 percent and 58 percent than others, the CDC said in a statement issued Friday.

According to data compiled by the CDC, 901,000 individuals had been vaccinated against the XBB subvariant as of Friday. Only about 161,000, or 18 percent, were in the 18-49 age group.

The number suggests that many people in that age range believe they do not need to get the XBB vaccine because they have been vaccinated before, the CDC said.

The CDC strongly recommends that adults get the XBB vaccine to reduce their health risks and medical costs associated with the winter pandemic.

Considering the onset of a cold air mass this week and the ongoing election campaigns as well as New Year celebrations, the CDC said respiratory tract infections were likley to escalate, adding that it had already observed a notable increase in COVID-19 complications.

The pandemic is expected to peak no sooner than the second half of January, and the number of cases reported by hospitals could hit 18,000-20,000 a day by then, the CDC said.

A total of 462,800 shots of the Novavax XBB vaccine have arrived in Taiwan and will be available nationwide from Jan. 9. People who have not had the XBB vaccine yet can choose between Moderna and Novavax, the CDC said.

The vaccine can be accessed at around 3,000 hospitals across the island, including 1,665 of them that do not require an advanced booking. People can visit the CDC website (https://gov.tw/eU4) for further details.