Taiwan opened publicly funded flu and COVID-19 vaccinations to adults aged 50 to 64 without high-risk chronic conditions on Nov. 2, widening access as severe cases accumulated this season.
Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) counted 391 severe flu cases and 57 deaths through Oct. 26 in the 2026-27 flu season. The agency said 99.7% of severe flu cases involved people who had not received that season’s vaccine. It also reported 64 local severe COVID-19 cases, including 10 deaths, through Oct. 26.
The program’s first phase started Oct. 1 and covered adults 65 and older, Indigenous people 55 and older, people with high-risk conditions, pregnant women, preschool children, and health care and long-term-care workers.
The CDC said about 4,000 contracted facilities were offering vaccinations across Taiwan. Adults 18 and older can earn 450 Health Coins for a flu shot and 900 for a COVID-19 shot, the agency said. It directs people to local health departments, CDC websites, its vaccine-location map or the 1922 hotline to find a provider.
