Chuang Jen-hsiang was sworn in as the new director general of the Centers for Disease Control in a ceremony presided over by Health and Welfare Minister Hsueh Jui-yuan on Feb. 22. The minister said Chuang's mission is to complete amendments to the Communicable Disease Control Act within four months' time. Meanwhile, the population will be encouraged to get an annual COVID-19 vaccine.
Health and Welfare Minister Hsueh Jui-yuan served as the witness as outgoing Centers for Disease Control Director General Chou Jih-haw handed over the seal to his successor Chuang Jen-hsiang. Following the ceremony, Hsueh said the COVID-19 pandemic is ending and Chuang's mission is to complete amendments to the Communicable Disease Control Act within four months' time. He also said COVID-19 vaccines will become "normalized" and people will be encouraged to get them on an annual basis. Members of high-risk groups can get two doses.
Hsueh Jui-yuan, Health and Welfare Minister: “If we continue getting vaccines, then people will forget which dose it is. They'll say, is it the fifth? The sixth? To prevent complications, our plan is probably to offer vaccination to everyone during a designated period of the year.”
There is also a widespread medication shortage. According to reports, the NHI Administration slashed the NHI medicine budget by NT$15 billion. Hsueh said the actual adjustment in 2021 and 2022 was about NT$8 billion. He added this amount isn't considered to be high and shouldn't cause medications to exit the market.
Hsueh Jui-yuan, Health and Welfare Minister: “The extent isn't considered high if you add up the total from the two years, so it shouldn't have caused this so-called issue of medications exiting the market.”
People spending a certain period of time abroad have their health insurance coverage suspended and have to apply to be reinstated. Last year, a court ruled this is unconstitutional. Hsueh said the ruling will be used to revise provisions and amendments will be completed within two years' time.
在衛福部長薛瑞元監交下，前疾管署長周志浩，將印信交棒給新任署長莊人祥，完成交接儀式。
薛瑞元表示，新冠疫情進入尾聲，新任署長莊人祥接下來的任務，就是要力拚4個月內，完成《傳染病防治法》的修法。而且新冠疫苗也將朝常態化方式，全民每年接種1劑，但高風險族群則是打2劑。
衛福部長薛瑞元說：「再打下去的話，大家忘了說這叫做第幾劑，第5劑、第6劑。所以就為了避免困擾啦，我們大概在規劃就是，一年的一個特定的時間，普遍的來做施打。」
另外，國內爆發缺藥潮，藥界卻傳出健保署將大砍150億健保藥品預算，引發外界爭議。對此薛瑞元回應表示，2021和2022這兩年合算起來，實際調整約80幾億，幅度不算大，也不至於造成藥品退出市場。
衛福部長薛瑞元指出：「兩年合計去算的話，那個幅度不算高啦。所以應該不至於說，造成這個所謂的，藥品退出市場的問題。」
至於國人出國常面臨健保停復保問題，憲法法庭去（2022）年底判決違憲。對此薛瑞元強調，將依判決修正相關規範，兩年內會完成修法。