Taipei: Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced on Tuesday that the country is experiencing an increase in influenza-like illnesses, indicating that Taiwan is expected to enter an epidemic period this week.

According to Focus Taiwan, CDC spokesperson Tseng Shu-hui reported at a routine press conference that 100,909 individuals sought outpatient or emergency care for influenza-like symptoms from September 7 to 13, marking a 10.4 percent increase from the previous week. Tseng noted that this year's influenza season is predicted to surpass the epidemic threshold in the 38th week of the year. This is later than the 2022-2023 season, which crossed the threshold in week 35, yet still earlier than most previous years when the epidemic period typically began after October.

CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Lee Chia-lin suggested that the current uptick might be linked to close contact among students with the commencement of the school year. Lee mentioned that similar increases have been observed before new influenza seasons in October, with infection peaks usually occurring between December and the Lunar New Year. He noted that further observation is necessary to determine whether the current rise will persist or diminish.

Tseng also highlighted that COVID-19 infections, which peaked in late May and early June this year, remain at a low level. She announced that this year's free influenza and COVID-19 vaccines will be rolled out in phases starting October 1, with the public COVID-19 vaccination strategy transitioning from universal inoculation to a risk-based approach, aligning with current international practices.