Taipei: Taiwan plans to buy a record 7.05 million influenza jabs for its annual publicly-funded vaccination campaign, including 200,000 enhanced vaccines for seniors in residential care facilities, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Tuesday. Speaking at a weekly press conference, CDC Director-General Lo Yi-chun highlighted the high demand for flu vaccines last year, when Taiwan purchased a total of 6.865 million doses.

According to Focus Taiwan, to reduce the burden of severe flu cases on Taiwan's medical system this fall and winter, the CDC has decided to purchase a record number of trivalent flu vaccine doses. This purchase aims to provide coverage for around 30 percent of the population, Lo stated. The purchase, with an estimated budget of NT$1.78 billion (US$55.52 million), is expected to be finalized in late April.

Lo mentioned that Taiwan would continue purchasing trivalent vaccines for the fall flu season, which protect against three influenza strains (two A and one B). This year, the World Health Organization has updated all three viral strains to be included in the shots, including the subclade K of the influenza A (H3N2) family, which became prevalent in Taiwan last fall.

For the first time this year, Lo announced that the CDC's free flu vaccination program will include 200,000 enhanced vaccines. The roughly 170,000 seniors aged 65 and above in residential care facilities in Taiwan will have priority in receiving an enhanced vaccine, with the remainder used as needed. Taiwan's annual publicly-funded flu vaccination campaign typically kicks off in October, initially targeting seniors, young children, and other high-risk groups, with eligibility gradually expanded over time.