COVID and flu vaccines should go together

STRONGER TOGETHER: Groups vulnerable to the disease would be armored more effectively against infection with both shots, instead of just getting one, TAFM said

• By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter

• • Add TT as Preferred Source

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The Taiwan Association of Family Medicine (TAFM) yesterday urged eligible vaccine recipients to get seasonal flu and COVID-19 vaccines, rather than one or the other, to better protect their lungs and heart.

As the first phase of the government-funded flu and COVID-19 vaccination program began on Thursday last week, the TAFM yesterday invited actor Chen Mei-fen (陳美鳳) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) to help raise public awareness of the issue.

Lo said more than 1.329 million doses of flu vaccines and 482,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the past six days, an increase of 24 percent and 55 percent respectively compared with the first six days in last year’s program.

Centers for Disease Control Director-General Philip Lo, second left, Taiwanese actress Chen Mei-fen, second right, pose for a photograph in a news conference in Taipei yesterday.

Photo: Pan Shao-tang, Taipei Times

Among older people who received a flu vaccine, about 50 percent also received a COVID-19 vaccine, which is an improvement from about 37 percent in past years, he said.

As the CDC on Tuesday said flu and COVID-19 are still in their epidemic period, and severe flu cases and flu-related deaths confirmed last week were still relatively high, Lo said the high public willingness to get vaccinated is expected to help bring down local viral activity, so the flu epidemic period might end early next month, while the COVID-19 epidemic might end this month.

The CDC purchased 2.3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for the program this year, including 200,000 doses of Novavax’s vaccine, which is undergoing lot release testing, and should be available before the end of the month, he said.

Although public vaccination willingness is relatively high this year, Lo said the centers still urge people aged 65 or older and other high-risk groups to get vaccinated against the flu and COVID-19 as soon as possible, as they are more prone to developing severe complications after infection.

The fatality rate of those with severe symptoms from COVID-19 is about one in five people, he said, adding that more than 80 percent of people who died were not up to date on their vaccines.

TAFM chairperson Huang Chen-kuo (黃振國) said some people might recall discomfort from getting a COVID-19 vaccine from a few years ago and are unwilling to get vaccinated, but the new updated COVID-19 vaccine has a smaller dose, reducing physical discomfort.

TAFM member Wu Chih-hsing (吳至行), a medical professor and physician, said the vaccines take about two weeks to build up full protection, so people should not wait until the epidemic worsens to get vaccinated.

Older people and people with underlying conditions are encouraged to get both vaccines, rather than only getting one, he added.

Wu said studies have suggested that contracting the flu or COVID-19 can increase the risk of cardiovascular events, so vaccination not only reduces the risk of severe respiratory illnesses, but also reduces the risk of stroke and myocardial infarction (heart attack) from infection.

There is no telling when one would get infected, Chen said, relating the case of a neighbor who runs a home hair salon and recently contracted COVID-19. They developed serious symptoms, and as their whole family contracted the disease, they had to close the salon for several weeks.

She encouraged those who are eligible for vaccination to “invite each other” to get flu and COVID-19 vaccines together, to “protect their lungs and heart,” as well as earn “health coins.”