Protection upgrade! Public influenza vaccine will be launched in November

        The World Health Organization delayed the announcement of influenza vaccine selection one month this year, resulting in a delay in both global influenza vaccine supply and Taiwan's public influenza vaccine launch time. This issue of "legal column" specially provides the schedule of vaccination for different ethnic groups. People in high-risk groups remember to finish the vaccination as soon as possible to improve their protection!

In order to improve the accuracy of prediction, who announced the results of influenza vaccine selection in the northern hemisphere at the end of March this year, which delayed the production and supply of global influenza vaccine and affected the start of Taiwan's public funded influenza vaccine. At present, influenza continues in summer, which will lead to the postponement of winter influenza epidemic compared with previous years. People who meet the conditions for public vaccination can obtain enough protection before the peak of influenza around the lunar new year as long as the vaccination schedule is completed as soon as possible, so as not to affect the winter influenza epidemic prevention. At the same time, people who do not have the qualification for public vaccination are encouraged to take one dose of influenza vaccine at their own expense In addition to protecting yourself and your family, it can also improve the group protection.

This year's four price public funded influenza vaccine will be vaccinated in batches. From November 15, it will be vaccinated for students and medical staff from elementary and high schools; from December 8, it will be vaccinated for the elderly over 65 years old and preschool children; from January 1, 2020, it will be vaccinated for other public funded objects.

Many people don't understand why the elderly over 65 years old who are not serious and have a high risk of death should be given priority vaccination. According to the Ministry of health and welcare, when the vaccine supply can't meet the demand of all the targets to start fighting at the same time, we should consider how to block the pandemic in the community, so as to reduce the risk of infection in high-risk groups, and reduce their complications of severe or death. Due to the students' collective activities in school, they infect each other, take the virus home, and infect the flu to their families. In the community activities, their families bring the flu into the community, causing the elderly over 65 years old and preschool children and other high-risk objects to be escorted. Therefore, it is necessary to block the high-risk groups such as students and medical staff in order to effectively protect the high-risk groups.

In addition, the Ministry of health and welare stressed that vaccination is not the only way to prevent and treat influenza, and the public's awareness of crisis and the concept of epidemic prevention are more important. It called on medical staff to actively treat and isolate suspected influenza patients, and schools should also implement class suspension and class suspension. The public should pay more attention to hand hygiene and cough etiquette, so as to effectively reduce the risk of infection. (source: United News Network, Ministry of health and welfare)