Free COVID vaccination extended to April 30 ahead of possible surge: CDC

Taipei, Feb. 24 (CNA) Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Tuesday it will extend its free COVID-19 vaccination program through April 30, citing the possibility of another surge in April or May.

The program, previously expanded to run from Jan. 1 to Feb. 28, will continue to cover all residents aged 6 months and older, CDC Director-General Lo Yi-chun (羅一鈞) said at a weekly briefing.

Lo said the extension aims to prepare for a potential resurgence and reduce the risk of severe illness and deaths, noting that COVID-19 activity was minimal this winter, which could increase the likelihood of a summer wave.

According to CDC data, Taiwan recorded one severe domestic case and one death from Feb. 14-22 during the Lunar New Year holiday period.

As of Feb. 23, around 1.662 million COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered this year, including about 52,000 doses of the Novavax vaccine.

Current public vaccine supplies include approximately 180,000 doses of Novavax and 840,000 doses of Moderna, providing a total of 1.02 million government-funded doses for eligible recipients, Lo said.

The CDC will hold a meeting of experts in March to assess the situation and decide the number and timing of new vaccine purchases, according to CDC spokesperson Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠).