Taiwan is gradually opening up to international travel as the vaccination rate rises and global COVID-19 case numbers fall. But less than half of the population has had a booster shot, meaning substantial numbers of people aren’t fully protected.
A makeshift hospital in Hong Kong. People are dying from COVID-19 here at one of the highest rates in the world. And that is raising serious questions about Taiwan’s plans for reopening its borders, especially since more than 5 million people haven’t had a booster shot.
National Taiwan University Professor of Public Health Chen Hsiu-hsi says Taiwan should aim to give a booster to 70% of its population.
And politicians like Premier Su Tseng-chang are getting their jabs to encourage older people to do the same.
That comes as new research suggests older people are more likely to suffer from symptoms of dementia after a severe COVID-19 infection.
Out of 260 older people that had severe COVID symptoms and survived, more than one in seven had dementia a year later, and one in four showed signs of cognitive decline.
But people who only had mild symptoms fared a lot better. Only 1% had dementia a year later, and only 5% showed signs of cognitive decline. That’s pretty much the same as people who didn’t get COVID at all.
The lesson? A vaccine can save your life, and it could also save your mind, too.
Taiwan authorities are gradually lifting border controls. But progress might be slow until Taiwan’s most vulnerable people get all their necessary shots.
Staś Butler, RTI News.