Doctors suggest a minimal 7-day window between the flu and COVID vaccines, so that adverse effects could be more accurately classified.
Presenter: Phase one of the government funded flu vaccine starts today. The vaccinations include medical and epidemic prevention personnel, seniors over 65, and others totaling 10 different groups. People between the ages of 50 and 64 without high-risk chronic diseases are arranged in the second phase, which will start next month on the 15th. The CDC is specifically reminding people to wait at least 7 days between receiving the flu and COVID vaccinations to prevent adverse side effects.
The grandson of veteran actress Tan Ai-chen burst into tears while receiving his very first flu vaccine in life. One-year-old Shin-chan, along with his mother and grandmother became the flu vaccine ambassadors this year to raise awareness about the benefits of the flu vaccination.
Ou Yang-ching, Flu Prevention Ambassador:” He just turned 13 months old. So this is his first flu shot. Because it's the flu vaccine, babies over 6 months old can get the shot.”
The CDC said that a total of 6.32 million doses of government-funded quadrivalent influenza vaccine this year will be administered in two phases. The first phase is starting on October 1. The target group includes medical and epidemic prevention personnel, seniors aged over 65, and others totaling 10 different groups. The second phase will start on November 15. An elderly senior in Kaohsiung waited in line at the hospital early in the morning to get the first shot.
Mr. Wang, Kaohsiung resident:” I'm afraid of the flu and getting sick.”
Mrs. Wang, Kaohsiung resident: ” I come to Kaohsiung Medical University every year to get the flu vaccine. I feel good after and won't catch a cold.”
This year, both the COVID-19 and flu vaccines inoculations occurred at the same time. The CDC is specifically reminding people to wait at least 7 days between the two vaccinations.
Chou Jih-haw, Director-General, CDC:” To distinguish which vaccine is causing potential adverse side effects, we recommend people wait seven days between receiving the two shots.”
The CDC emphasizes that October is the start of flu season every year. The Center estimates peak flu season is from December to the Lunar New Year holiday the following year. The flu vaccine helps reduce the risk of infection and severe illness. It can also help lessen the risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
一針打下去，一歲多的新醬、痛得哇哇大哭，不過卻可獲得完整保護力，避免得流感！今年的流感疫苗防疫大使，是由資深藝人譚艾珍一家三代擔任，並率先施打，不僅保護自己，也保護家人健康。
防疫大使 歐陽靖：「他剛滿1歲1個月，所以他這次是第一次打流感疫苗，因為流感疫苗我們是，6個月以上的寶寶就可以施打了。」
疾管署表示，今年四價公費流感疫苗、共採購632萬劑，將分兩階段開打，第一階段從10月1號開始，接種對象包括醫事及防疫人員、65歲以上長者等10類人員，第二階段則是從11月15號起開打。在高雄有長輩，一早就到醫院排隊、搶打第一針。
高雄市民眾 王先生：「怕流感啊，怕感冒啊。」
高雄市民眾 王女士：「我每年都會來高醫打流感(疫苗)，打完不錯，就不會感冒。」
由於今年同時有新冠疫苗與流感疫苗開放接種，疾管署特別提醒，兩種疫苗接種、至少要間隔7天以上。
疾管署長 周志浩：「為了釐清兩種疫苗，到底是哪一種疫苗，所引起的這些不良反應，或者是不良事件的作用的話，那我們建議一般隔七天。」
疾管署強調，每年從10月起、進入流感流行季，預估在12月、到隔年農曆春節期間達到最高峰，接種流感疫苗，除了能減少感染風險、降低重症機率，對於新冠病毒也具有減少重症的效果。
