Flu deaths, severe cases hit one-year high as 1.06 million vaccinated

Taipei, Oct. 6 (CNA) Taiwan's influenza outbreak remained in the epidemic phase, with new severe cases and deaths reaching the highest weekly totals in a year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Tuesday.

Meanwhile, more than 1.457 million people have received publicly funded flu and COVID-19 vaccine shots since the most recent vaccination campaign began on Oct. 1, the CDC added.

According to CDC data, 139,060 outpatient and emergency visits for influenza-like illness were recorded during the Sept. 27-Oct. 3 period, down 1.4 percent from the previous week but indicating flu activity remained at epidemic levels.

CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Kuo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said 219 new severe influenza cases and 44 deaths were reported between Sept. 29 and Oct. 5, a higher weekly total than any week during the 2025-26 flu season.

Laboratory surveillance showed influenza A viruses remain dominant in the community, with the H1N1 subtype accounting for 90.7 percent of detected influenza A cases, Kuo said.

In the new flu season, which runs from Oct. 1, 2026 to Sept. 30, 2027, 30 severe cases have been recorded so far, all caused by H1N1, he said.

In the previous season, from Oct. 1, 2025 to Sept. 30, 2026, Taiwan recorded 1,862 severe cases and 378 deaths, Kuo said.

Most severe cases involved people aged 65 or older or those with chronic illnesses, and 67.2 percent of patients had not received that season's flu vaccine, he added.

In addition, COVID-19 activity continued to ease but remained at epidemic levels, Kuo said.

The CDC reported 7,836 COVID-19-related outpatient and emergency visits from Sept. 27-Oct. 3, down 26.7 percent from the previous week. Between Sept. 29 and Oct. 5, 37 new domestic severe cases and 16 deaths were reported.

Taiwan launched its annual publicly funded influenza and COVID-19 vaccination campaign on Oct. 1.

As of Monday, 1.062 million people had received flu shots and 395,000 had received COVID-19 vaccines, both higher than during the same period last year.

The CDC said flu vaccine uptake among people aged 65 and older rose about 10 percent year-on-year, with 660,000 doses administered during the campaign's first five days.

The increase was partly driven by a new incentive program that rewards eligible recipients with digital "Health Coins" redeemable for health-related products after receiving both vaccines and completing designated health-related activities.