Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control will begin offering Novavax protein-based COVID-19 vaccines through the public program on October 19, giving clinics a non-mRNA option as the agency urges eligible residents to pair flu and COVID shots in the same visit. The expansion arrives with influenza still in a seasonal upswing and severe cases concentrated among seniors who skipped prior doses.
Epidemiology behind the push
CDC surveillance for the week ending October 10 logged 128,847 influenza-like illness visits, down 8.9 percent week on week but still above typical autumn baselines. The agency recorded 144 new influenza complications requiring intensive care in the October 6–12 window, mostly influenza A(H1N1), alongside 46 deaths in the same cohort. Roughly two-thirds of severe cases involved adults 65 or older, and past-season data show a majority had not received the current flu vaccine.
COVID outpatient visits also declined to 5,261 in week 40, yet the CDC counted 21 new severe domestic cases and 15 deaths in the October 6–12 period, reinforcing the “left flu, right COVID” co-vaccination slogan used in this year’s campaign.
Who qualifies when
Phase-one recipients since October 1 include seniors, pregnant women, high-risk chronic patients, schoolchildren, and medical workers, among eleven priority groups outlined by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Healthy adults aged 50–64 without chronic conditions must wait until November 2 for publicly funded flu and COVID doses, though many employers are sponsoring workplace clinics earlier.
Novavax’s addition on October 19 targets residents who declined mRNA boosters but still want protein-platform protection before winter travel. CDC officials said supply would be staged to contract clinics listed on the national vaccine map, and they may procure an additional 100,000 flu doses for November delivery if uptake stays high.
Health-token incentives
Adults who complete eligible vaccinations earn digital health tokens—450 for flu, 900 for COVID, redeemable for goods starting December 1. Public-health professors caution that rewards help nudge fence-sitters but cannot replace outreach to homebound seniors who struggle to reach clinics despite being at highest risk.
Hospital capacity
Taipei medical centers reported ICU beds for respiratory failure running tighter than 2025 averages, not because of COVID alone but due to overlapping flu and chronic lung disease admissions. Emergency physicians asked families to seek antiviral treatment within 48 hours of symptom onset rather than waiting for holiday travel plans to finish.
For households, the practical takeaway is to book both shots before the November school and tourism rush, and to verify Novavax availability at the chosen site after October 19 if mRNA vaccines are not an option.