[Reporter Luo Bi/Taipei Report] Publicly funded influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations are enthusiastic! Director of Disease Control and Prevention Luo Yijun said today (7th) that from October 1 to 6, 1.329 million doses of influenza vaccine had been administered, an increase of 24% over the same period last year; 482,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered, an increase of 55%. However, there are still many elderly people over the age of 65 who have not yet received the COVID-19 vaccine. We call on them to seize the time and "learn new things" to protect their lungs and heart and earn health coins.
The Taiwan Family Medicine Association held a public health education press conference today on "Flu and COVID-19 are both needed, and it is urgent to protect the heart and lungs." The Taiwan Family Medicine Association invited artist Chen Meifeng to serve as the "Left Liu You Xin" health education ambassador for the second consecutive year. Luo Yijun also attended to jointly promote the vaccine.
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Luo Yijun said that this year's influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations are more active than the same period last year, especially the number of COVID-19 vaccinations increased by 55% in the first six days. He thanked grassroots and frontline doctors for their input, and recognized Chen Meifeng for her help in publicity. He also revealed that this year, 79 million yuan has been earmarked as a joint vaccination reward for "Left, Right, and New". Seeing the popularity of vaccination, he laughed and said that the budget "may be too insufficient."
With the enthusiasm for COVID-19 vaccination, follow-up supply has also attracted attention. Luo Yijun pointed out that 2.3 million doses of the new crown vaccine have been purchased this year, of which 200,000 doses are Novavax vaccines. 150,000 doses have arrived on October 1 and are currently subject to sealing and inspection by the Food and Drug Administration. If the operation goes well, vaccination is expected to be open in late October for people who want to choose this brand.
In terms of the epidemic, Luo Yijun said that the domestic influenza epidemic has now reversed and is expected to be out of the epidemic period in early November; the new crown epidemic is close to out of the epidemic period, and the estimated time is mid-October. However, he reminded that there are still many high-risk groups and elderly people over 65 who have not yet received the COVID-19 vaccine, and they should get vaccinated as soon as possible to "get early and protect early."
Luo Yijun also encouraged the public to "learn from the left and right and earn health coins." He said that you can get 1,350 health coins by getting vaccinated against influenza and COVID-19, plus 100 coins for joining the health coin activity and 200 coins for completing the lifestyle questionnaire, a total of 1,650 coins can be accumulated. He also assisted Wu Zhixing, a professor of the Preventive Health Care and Chronic Disease Prevention and Treatment Committee of the Taiwan Family Medicine Association, to complete the binding of health coins.
Regarding people's concerns about discomfort after vaccination, Luo Yijun shared that his mother received influenza and COVID-19 vaccines at a nearby community vaccination station on October 2. He specifically asked about how he felt after the vaccination. His mother said that there was only slight itching and swelling. Compared with the chills that occurred after taking the new crown vaccine in the past, the reaction this year was milder.
Huang Zhenguo, chairman of the Taiwan Family Medicine Association, said that the new crown vaccine is different from the past, and past vaccination experience should not be allowed to affect current protection. Elderly people over 65 years old and patients with chronic diseases should seize the opportunity to receive two vaccines. Those who have only received influenza vaccine should also receive the new crown vaccine.
Wu Zhixing pointed out that it takes about 1 to 2 weeks to build up antibodies after vaccination. If you wait until the epidemic heats up before getting vaccinated, it may not be enough time to produce sufficient protection. He used the metaphor of a door lock at home. People will not wait for a neighbor to be robbed before they think of locking the door. The vaccine also builds a defense line for the body in advance.
Wu Zhixing said that infection with influenza and the new coronavirus may increase the risk of cardiovascular events. In addition to reducing the risk of severe pulmonary complications after infection, vaccination can also help reduce the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke. He also pointed out that the new-generation COVID-19 vaccine provided this year has been designed and optimized to reduce local adverse reactions, swelling and fever by about half after vaccination, and the volume of each dose is reduced to 0.2 ml.
The 71-year-old Mr. Gao and his wife had received flu vaccines regularly in the past, but they had only received three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine during the epidemic. On October 2 this year, they received the "Left Liu You Xin" vaccine together for the first time. Mr. Gao said that his hands only felt slightly sore after the vaccination. Mrs. Gao was originally worried about having a fever like in the past, but unexpectedly she felt almost no discomfort. She went shopping with her sister immediately after the vaccination.
Chen Meifeng shared that when her agent was infected with COVID-19 in the past, her whole body was weak and her throat hurt like a knife. After receiving the vaccine last year, her symptoms were much milder when she was diagnosed again this year. She called on people who are eligible for public funding to get their relatives and friends to get vaccinated together to build up protection in autumn and winter as soon as possible.
