The Ministry of Health and Welfare began accepting flu-shot appointments Monday for residents aged 65 and older through hospital portals and neighborhood health centers, kicking off an October campaign that prioritizes seniors before the program widens to other risk groups. Officials said vaccine lots cleared cold-chain inspection during the Mid-Autumn holiday and will reach clinics this week.
Why seniors go first
Taiwan’s influenza season often accelerates after temperature swings around the autumn equinox, when families gather indoors following outdoor festivals. Hospital data from prior years show occupancy spikes in geriatric wards two to three weeks after holiday travel, prompting the ministry to keep the senior window ahead of working-age adults.
Residents can register with National Health Insurance cards at contracted clinics; walk-ins remain available at designated hospitals if supply allows. The campaign uses quadrivalent vaccines aligned with World Health Organization northern-hemisphere strain recommendations updated earlier this year.
Capacity planning
County health bureaus hired temporary nurses for weekend sessions at district offices, learning from COVID-era queue management. Pharmacies participating in the expanded community network must report daily uptake so the CDC can shift doses from low-demand townships to Taipei and Taichung metros.
Co-administration guidance
Physicians advised spacing COVID boosters and flu shots by at least two weeks unless patients face imminent travel or institutional outbreaks. Nursing homes may request on-site vaccination teams through a separate MOHW form.
Cost and equity
Eligible seniors pay no out-of-pocket fee when visiting contracted providers; the NHI administers reimbursement. Indigenous communities in mountain townships receive mobile clinic visits because cold-chain transport is harder to guarantee at remote posts.
Takeaway
Cooler nights after Mid-Autumn are the practical reminder, not a press-release slogan. Booking early reduces December emergency-room crowding when flu and RSV overlap in pediatric and elderly units alike.
County reporting
County health bureaus must upload daily vaccination counts to the CDC portal by 6 p.m., a reporting rule added after prior seasons showed late data hid rural shortages until December.