Doctor warns of enterovirus epidemic, urges vaccination

Taipei, March 5 (CNA) A doctor on Wednesday warned that an enterovirus epidemic could break out "anytime," with particular concern about enterovirus 71 which killed 78 young children in one season 27 years ago.

At a press event, Hwang Kao-pin (黃高彬), deputy dean of China Medical University Hospital Infection Control Center, recalled the enterovirus epidemic that first broke out in Taiwan in 1998.

That year there were 405 severe cases and 78 deaths, mostly children under the age of 5, Hwang said.

Since then, there has been an enterovirus 71 epidemic every 3-4 years, when the number of children without antibodies reaches a certain number, he said.

It was originally predicted that there would be an outbreak between 2019 and 2020, but COVID-19 prevention measures changed enterovirus epidemic trends in Taiwan, Hwang said.

With mask mandates lifted, children's social interactions increasing and immunity debt persisting, the chance of an enterovirus epidemic continues to rise, he said.

There are more than 100 strains of enteroviruses, and only those who have been infected will develop antibodies, Hwang said.

As Taiwan has not seen the large-scale spread of enterovirus 71 since 2012, almost none of the current high-risk group of children under 5 have antibodies, which is "extremely dangerous" and "a big outbreak could happen anytime," he said.

He urged parents to take their children to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Two vaccines are approved for enterovirus 71 by Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration. The Enimmune vaccine has a protection rate of 99.21 percent and the Medigen vaccine a rate of 96.8 percent, according to the company websites.

The vaccines currently have to be paid for out-of-pocket, Hwang said, adding that it would be better if they were publicly funded to heighten understanding and promote vaccination.

Taiwan Centers for Disease Control spokesperson Tseng Shu-huai (曾淑慧) said that the Taiwan Center for Drug Evaluation will include the enterovirus 71 vaccine in its welfare policy assessment for 2025.