On March 28, 2011, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) announced its plan to halt the expanded use of government-funded antivirals on April 10, 2011 as the influenza activity in Taiwan had gradually decreased. Severe cases and groups at high risk of severe complications will still have access to government-funded antivirals.

According to the surveillance data of emergency department consultations for influenza-like illness (ILI) collected by Taiwan CDC, the weekly number of influenza cases and the weekly number of patients prescribed government-funded Tamiflu have been on decline.Earlier on January 25, 2011, after consultation with the national committee on influenza prevention, most influenza experts agreed for Taiwan CDC to expand the use of government-funded antiviral to include persons with high fever that persists up to 48 hours and family members, coworkers and classmates of confirmed influenza cases who display ILI.The expanded use of government-funded antivirals was originally planned to end on February 28, 2011, but was put off to end on March 31, 2011.However, it had been postponed again to end no later than April 10, 2011.

Beginning April 11, 2011, the use of government-funded antivirals will target individuals as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the national committee on influenza prevention, including: (1) persons meeting the case definition of persons under investigation for possible H5N1 infectio; (2)close contacts of “suspected H5N1 cases”, “probable H5N1 cases” and “confirmed H5N1 cases”; (3) influenza cases with severe complications; (4) pregnant women who need prompt treatment with antivirals; (5) persons with ILI and signs of severe complications; (6) persons with ILI and major illness and injury or cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic or renal disease; (7) persons who are morbidly obese (i.e., BMI ≥35); and (8) ILI cluster cases confirmed by the commander and the vice commander of the Communicable Disease Control Medical Network.

For more information concerning influenza prevention, please visit the Taiwan CDC’s website: http://www.cdc.gov.tw/ or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922.