Taipei: Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced an expansion of the government-funded COVID-19 vaccination program, aiming to cover all residents aged 6 months and older from January 1 to February 28 of the upcoming year. This initiative is set to coincide with the year-end holidays and the Lunar New Year travel period, which are anticipated to lead to increased movement and potentially another wave of infections around May, following past trends, according to CDC spokesperson Lin Ming-cheng.
According to Focus Taiwan, the decision to extend the COVID-19 vaccination program followed discussions with experts from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on December 9. The primary objective is to enhance immunity across the population and mitigate the risk of severe illness and death. Currently, free COVID-19 vaccinations are available only to 10 high-risk categories, including individuals aged 50 and above, children aged 6 months to under 6 years, healthcare personnel, pregnant women, and those with chronic health conditions or diseases.
The upcoming expansion at the start of the new year will include all residents of Taiwan, as well as foreign nationals holding alien resident certificates and alien permanent resident certificates. CDC statistics reveal that more individuals have received COVID-19 vaccinations this year compared to the same period in 2024, with doses administered to those aged 65 and older increasing by 30.7 percent, and those for individuals aged 50-64 rising by 18.3 percent.
Currently, Taiwan administers Moderna's LP.8.1 and Novavax's JN.1 vaccines, both of which have been proven safe and effective against the COVID-19 NB.1.8.1 and XFG variants. Individuals aged 12 and older have the option to choose either vaccine brand, while children aged 6 months to 11 years are eligible only for the Moderna LP.8.1 vaccine. The agency emphasized that the risk of severe illness from COVID-19 remains higher than that of influenza, urging people to get vaccinated early to ensure adequate protection before the Lunar New Year holidays.