Flu epidemic expected to peak this week at up to 150,000 visits: CDC

Taipei, Oct. 1 (CNA) Taiwan's influenza epidemic is expected to peak this week, with weekly outpatient and emergency visits for flu-like illnesses expected to reach 140,000-150,000, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Thursday.

Speaking at a vaccination program launch event, CDC Director General Lo Yi-chun (羅一鈞) said the elevated activity could continue until mid-November, although the epidemic is expected to decline significantly after mid-October as the publicly funded influenza and COVID-19 vaccination program gets underway.

Health Minister Shih Chung-liang (石崇良), who also attended the event, said autumn and winter are the peak seasons for influenza and COVID-19, with older people, young children and those with high-risk chronic conditions at greater risk of severe illness and death.

Taiwan purchased 7.05 million doses of influenza vaccines for the publicly funded vaccination program this year, the first time the number has exceeded 7 million, Shih said. Enhanced influenza vaccine shots will be prioritized for people aged 65 and older living in long-term care and nursing facilities.

Lo said outpatient visits were affected by the recent Mid-Autumn Festival holiday but have since begun to rebound. The CDC estimates that flu-like illness visits will reach about 140,000-150,000 this week.

He said vaccination could help bring the epidemic under control more quickly, with a noticeable decline expected after mid-October if vaccination uptake is strong.

The publicly funded influenza and COVID-19 vaccination program is being rolled out in two stages.

The first stage, which began Thursday, covers people aged 65 and older, Indigenous people aged 55 and older, preschool children and pregnant women, among others.

The second stage will begin Nov. 2, when publicly funded influenza and COVID-19 vaccines will also be available to adults aged 50 and older without high-risk chronic conditions.