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The Centers for Disease Control (hereafter referred to as the CDC) announced today (the 25th) that to prevent the autumn‑winter influenza and COVID‑19 outbreaks in year 115, and to provide more comprehensive protection for high‑risk groups such as the elderly and young children, this year’s publicly funded influenza vaccine procurement totals 7,051,500 doses (including 6,849,360 doses of standard influenza vaccine and 207,900 doses of enhanced immune influenza vaccine), marking the first time procurement exceeds 7 million doses. The COVID‑19 vaccine procurement is 2,400,000 doses, including 2,200,000 doses of Moderna (comprising 1,900,000 single‑dose vials and 300,000 multi‑dose vials) and 200,000 doses of Novavax, offering the public vaccines produced by different processes.
The CDC noted that the publicly funded target groups for influenza and COVID‑19 vaccines follow previous guidelines, primarily maintaining the ten categories of eligible recipients such as persons aged 65 and over and those with risk factors for severe disease. However, the scope has been expanded to include public health officers, kitchen staff and administrative personnel at daycare centers (non‑temporary workers), as well as actual caregivers of infants under six months old. In addition, based on the June 24 decision of the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Advisory Committee’s Vaccination Working Group (ACIP) and referencing international recommendations, the public funding criteria for COVID‑19 vaccination of children have been adjusted to “children aged 6 months up to but not yet 6 years who have never received a COVID‑19 vaccine.” The “flu on the left, COVID on the right” simultaneous vaccination strategy continues: besides adults aged 50‑64 without high‑risk chronic diseases who will start receiving the vaccine in the second phase on November 2, all others—including persons aged 65 and over, preschool children, medical‑epidemiology personnel, chronic‑disease patients, and students—will begin on October 1 to promote joint vaccination, increase coverage, and effectively reduce the risk of severe illness and death. The CDC especially urges high‑risk individuals to receive both vaccines to obtain a “lung‑protecting, heart‑caring” double protection.
The CDC explained that many countries such as the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and Australia have already recommended that persons aged 65 and over receive the enhanced influenza vaccine first. Clinical trial results and international vaccination recommendations show that the enhanced vaccine, which contains four times the antigen or includes an adjuvant, not only stimulates a stronger immune response but also provides 25‑30% higher protection against severe disease compared with the standard vaccine, and its protective effect lasts longer. Therefore, this year the CDC set a precedent in Asia by procuring, for the first time, 200,000 doses of “enhanced influenza vaccine” from two manufacturers, prioritizing publicly funded vaccination for residents aged 65 and over in long‑term care and nursing facilities to address demographic changes and seasonal epidemic challenges. In addition, following the ACIP meeting recommendations, the 115th year’s publicly funded influenza vaccine will continue to use a trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine, comprising two A strains (H1N1 and H3N2) and one B strain (Victoria), suitable for the 2026‑2027 Northern Hemisphere influenza season. According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended Northern Hemisphere strains, all three vaccine strains this year have been updated and fully match the currently circulating community strains, providing the most precise and effective protection for the public. Regarding the COVID‑19 vaccine, the single‑dose formulation for those aged 12 and older (totaling 1,900,000 doses) has been fully upgraded to a next‑generation COVID‑19 vaccine, containing only one‑fifth of the antigen dose of the previous generation. Empirical data show that post‑vaccination fever and any local adverse reactions are reduced by about half, and clinical studies indicate better protective efficacy; compared with the previous generation, it can elicit nearly twice the antibody response and improve protection against severe COVID‑19 by approximately 36%. In response to the ongoing mutation of the coronavirus, and after referencing vaccine strain selection recommendations from WHO, the European Union, the United States, and Japan, the ACIP decided that the XFG vaccine will be the priority choice for this autumn‑winter’s COVID‑19 vaccination, enhancing immune protection for high‑risk groups against the dominant viral strains.
Furthermore, to encourage citizens to develop preventive health habits, the health‑coin program slated to launch in October this year will also include COVID‑19 and influenza vaccinations as reward items, promoting healthy behavior. Anyone aged 18 or older who receives a COVID-19 or influenza vaccine, whether publicly funded or self‑paid, will receive health coins that can later be redeemed for health‑related gifts at participating convenience stores and supermarkets.
The CDC reminds again that influenza and the coronavirus mutate each year, so vaccination must be done annually to maintain protection. Prevention is better than treatment; the public is advised to get vaccinated promptly after the vaccination program starts to ensure adequate protection.
Source: Centers for Disease Control
Data compiled: Sensory Management Office
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