The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) stated that it had expended the target group of its influenza vaccination program this year. During October 1 and 31, over 3.64 million doses of influenza vaccine were administered. This year, teenagers (13 to 18 years) are included as part of the seasonal influenza vaccination program for the first time. Taiwan CDC urges parents to encourage their teenage children to receive the government-funded flu vaccine on campus. The vaccination reduces the risk of infection by working with the body's natural defenses to develop immunity to influenza.

On November 1, 2016, Taiwan CDC held influenza vaccination campaign at the private Nanshan Senior High School in New Taipei City. Taiwan CDC invited 5 High School Basketball League (HBL) and Asian Games players from Nanshan High School to act as the campaign guests and receive the vaccine. As of now, over 1.11 million doses of influenza vaccine have been administered on campus. Taiwan CDC once again urges students to receive influenza vaccine on campus to ensure their own health.

Taiwan CDC Director-General Chou Jih-haw (周志浩) pointed out that based on the previous experience, the influenza epidemic usually escalates around mid-November and reaches its peaks by the end of the year and before the Chinese Lunar New Year. It takes about 2 weeks to build immunity after the influenza vaccination. Hence, the best time to receive the vaccine is from October onwards. Although teenage students are not the influenza high-risk group, they are considered as super-spreaders of influenza. As a result, parents are advised to encourage their teenage children to receive the influenza vaccine at school. Additionally, the vaccination will not only protect the health of the receiver, but also prevent influenza transmission to other members of the family.

The New Taipei City Department of Health Deputy Commissioner Hsu Chao-cheng (許朝程) stressed that before receiving the vaccine, pre-vaccination assessment is required in order to guarantee the safety of the vaccination on campus. As the influenza vaccination coverage among students increases, the overall herd immunity against influenza will be increased. Consequently, less schools will need to suspend classes due to outbreaks. To protect students’ rights to education and to ensure schools function smoothly, Taiwan CDC again urged all parents to encourage their teenage children to receive their flu shots on campus according to the recommended immunization schedule.

This year, many people have received the seasonal influenza vaccine. To save time and avoid waiting in line, Taiwan CDC recommends the public to first check “the Query System for Contracted Healthcare Facilities Offering Government-funded Influenza Vaccines” at: https://antiflu.cdc.gov.tw/, which can be found on the Taiwan CDC website, and select the nearest healthcare provider for the purpose of convenience. Students can receive their government-funded influenza vaccine on campus. Eligible individuals for the government-funded influenza vaccine can visit any contracted hospitals and clinics and pay merely the registration fee to receive the vaccine. Eligible individuals who wish receive their influenza vaccine at the same time while seeking outpatient services at the contracted hospitals and clinics are only required to pay the registration fee once. For more information, please visit the Taiwan CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922).