Peak flu season is just weeks away, and Taiwan’s health authorities are ready for it. Officials say the first of this year’s flu vaccines will be available next week. But as winter approaches, the flu is not their only concern.
The flu has already arrived in Taiwan. Last week alone, more than 66,000 flu patients came to emergency rooms here seeking treatment. That number is down from where it was six weeks ago, but with peak flu season expected to start in January, doctors can’t afford to let down their guard.
Health officials say that 94,000 doses of this year’s flu vaccine will be ready by November 15. On that day, the first round of vaccinations will begin. Students and medical professionals will be the first groups eligible to get a shot, with others set to follow.
Doctors are also busy tackling outbreaks of norovirus, a bug responsible for vomiting and diarrhea. Fifty-five outbreak clusters have been recorded in Taiwan over the past month. Last week, emergency rooms here treated over 12,000 cases. Doctors say to avoid uncooked foods and to wash hands frequently with soap in order to lower chances of infection.