Centers for Disease Control predicts flu epidemic in two weeks

Taipei, Jan. 13 (CNA) Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on Tuesday said influenza cases are rising and warned the country is likely to enter the epidemic phase within two weeks.

The peak in infections is expected to coincide with the Lunar New Year holiday, but to remain lower than last year's peak, according to the CDC.

From Jan. 4-10, 91,842 people sought medical treatment for influenza-like symptoms, a 9.6 percent increase from the previous week, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Kuo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said at a routine press briefing.

He added that 23 new cases of severe complications from influenza and three deaths were recorded from Jan. 6-12.

This brought the total number of cases with severe complications to 441 and deaths to 86 since the beginning of the influenza season in October 2025, he said.

According to the CDC, around 6.65 million publicly-funded flu vaccines had been administered as of Jan. 12, with about 179,000 shots remaining.

As for COVID-19, infections are fluctuating at a low level, with 1,081 cases treated at medical institutions in the first week of the year, a 23.8 percent rise from the previous week, the CDC said.

However, cases have been on the rise in neighboring countries and territories including China, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea, said the CDC, urging high-risk individuals to get a vaccine shot as soon as possible.

A total of 1.598 million COVID-19 vaccine shots had been administered as of Jan. 12, the CDC said.