By Lee I-chia / Staff reporterThe Centers for Disease Control （CDC） yesterday announced that government-funded seasonal influenza （flu） and COVID-19 vaccinations are to begin on Oct. 1.請繼續往下閱讀...While the number of flu and COVID-19 cases dropped slightly last week, prevention is important, especially as school starts next week, it added.People aged 18 years or older who receive a dose of flu, COVID-19 or pneumococcal vaccine, whether government funded or paid out of pocket, would receive a “health coin,” CDC Director-General Philip Lo （羅一鈞） said.The health coin program is to be launched in October, and details of the program, including the amount of coins offered for each vaccine, would be announced tomorrow, Lo said.The CDC has procured a record 7,050,150 doses of flu vaccines, and 2.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, he said.The vaccines include 200,790 doses of an enhanced influenza vaccine, which offer 20 to 30 percent better protection, for the first time, and they will be prioritized for elderly residents of long-term care facilities, he said.Trivalent flu vaccines targeting an A（H1N1） strain, an A（H3N2） strain and a B strain have been selected for the upcoming flu season, Lo said, adding that they cover the dominant virus strain that is spreading locally and should provide good protection.The COVID-19 vaccines include 2.2 million doses by Moderna — 1.9 million next-generation single-dose vaccines targeting the XFG variant and 300,000 doses of the current multidose vial vaccine targeting the JN.1 variant — and 200,000 doses by Novavax targeting the XFG variant, he said.The next-generation single-dose COVID-19 vaccine has a less active mRNA ingredient per dose and offers robust immunity, but is only eligible for people aged 12 or older, while the multidose vial vaccine would be offered to children under 12, he added.Eligibility for the first phase of flu and COVID-19 vaccination are the high-risk groups listed in previous years, Lo said.However, the list has been expanded to include new categories: public health specialists, caregivers （defined as parents of infants under six months old）, and non-temporary kitchen and administrative workers at childcare centers, he said.For the COVID-19 vaccine, the category of “young children aged six months to before entering elementary” has been revised to “children under six who have never received a COVID-19 vaccine,” he said.The second phase is to begin on Nov. 2, with people aged 50 to 64 years old eligible for both vaccines, Lo said.Medical visits for flu last week totaled 94,340, 2.5 percent lower than the previous week, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei （郭宏偉） said, adding that 64 severe cases and 15 deaths were confirmed.For COVID-19, 24,995 cases were reported last week, about 6 percent fewer than the week before, but 59 severe cases and 19 deaths were confirmed, he said.As some schools are opening next week, and flu and COVID-19 activity remains high, people should still take preventive measures, Lo said.The COVID-19 epidemic period is expected to continue into next month, while flu and enterovirus cases might increase after school starts, and the risk of dengue fever is increasing due to heavy rainfall, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Min-cheng （林明誠） said.There are still about 109,000 doses of free COVID-19 vaccines available for people aged six or older before Sept. 9, he said.Aside from vaccination, washing hands thoroughly with soap, wearing a mask in crowded or poorly ventilated venues, resting at home when sick, and eliminating mosquito breeding grounds are encouraged to reduce risks of spreading diseases, Lin said.新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
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