Taiwan Seasonal Influenza 2025-26

[Commonground]

Holiday travel, temperature swings spread flu: doctor

Oct 28, 2025

Drastic temperature swings in late autumn combined with increased travel have created a breeding ground for viruses, particularly influenza, as clinics across Taiwan reported a sharp increase in visits following the holidays, a doctor said on Sunday.

The late autumn to early winter travel season serves as a prelude to peak flu transmission, thoracic and critical care medicine specialist Ooi Hean (黃軒) wrote on social media, urging people to watch for symptoms such as fever, pain and extreme fatigue.

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Influenza A (H3N2) is expected to be the dominant strain this year, Ooi said, adding that last year’s flu vaccine might not protect against this season’s strains.

The WHO updates the vaccine strain annually based on viral mutations, with the H3N2 subtype showing a notable change this year, he said.

Meanwhile, H1N1 and Victoria, a lineage of type B, strains remain largely unchanged, he said.

Continued: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/tai.../28/2003846230

[Commonground]

Wed, Oct 29, 2025

Second phase of vaccine program to begin: CDC

MORE TO COME? An official said another wave of flu infections might occur in mid to late December, with cases expected to be higher than the current wave

The second phase of government-funded COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations is to begin on Saturday, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday, adding that there have been 18 cases of severe enterovirus infection this year, including 15 newborns, the highest number in six years.

CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Lee Chia-lin (李佳琳) said surveillance data showed that flu viruses were the most common respiratory viral pathogen in the past four weeks, with influenza A(H3N2) the dominant strain.

There were 110,422 hospital visits for flu-like illnesses last week, down 15.6 percent from the previous week, Lee said.


Weekly numbers have fallen for three consecutive weeks, but remain at a high level, meaning the flu is still in its epidemic period, she said.

Thirty-eight cases of severe flu complications and 13 flu-related deaths were confirmed last week, with 95 percent of the severe cases and 85 percent of the deaths among people who were not vaccinated this flu season, she said.

CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said one of the youngest deaths confirmed last week was a nine-year-old boy who did not have underlying health conditions.

He began experiencing limb soreness and a fever in late September, followed by chills, vomiting, coughing and a runny nose, Lin said.

The boy tested positive for influenza A at a clinic, but on the same day, he developed severe symptoms, including altered consciousness, limb weakness, difficulty breathing and convulsions, so he was rushed to a hospital, where he was diagnosed with brain edema and necrotizing encephalopathy, Lin said.

The boy was admitted to an intensive care unit, but he died about a month after being hospitalized, he said.

CDC Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said that although hospital visits for flu-like illnesses have been declining, the CDC’s assessment is that the epidemic might continue until the middle of next month, so the expanded criteria for doctors to prescribe influenza antiviral medicines, which was due to end on Friday, would be extended to Nov. 15.

Another wave of flu infections might occur in mid to late December, and the numbers of mild and severe cases are expected to be higher than the current wave, so people should still get vaccinated, Lo said.

Continued: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/tai.../29/2003846290

[Commonground]

Taiwan could see a rise in flu cases starting December

Wed, Nov 19, 2025

aiwan may see an uptick in influenza cases starting December, with infections likely to peak around the Lunar New Year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.

CDC spokesperson Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) said that 93,247 people sought outpatient or emergency care for influenza-like symptoms from Nov. 9-15, marking a 9.1 percent drop from the previous week.

She noted, however, that 42 severe influenza cases were reported over the past seven days, 10 of which were fatal.


She highlighted Japan in particular, which logged nearly 1.5 times more cases last week than the week before. Lee urged travelers to get vaccinated before visiting the country.

Lee said Japan’s flu season has mirrored that of Taiwan’s this year, with both entering their epidemic periods between late September and early October, roughly a month earlier than usual.

She attributed the earlier onset to a shift in the dominant strain from H1N1 to H3N2, waning immunity following the COVID-19 pandemic, increased international travel, and reduced mask use.

Since October, Taiwan has recorded 300 severe influenza cases, resulting in 35 deaths, Lee said.

She added that most severe cases involved people aged 65 and older and those with chronic conditions, and that 95 percent of the patients with severe symptoms were not vaccinated for this year’s flu season.

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/tai.../19/2003847456

[Commonground]

CDC purchases 150,000 more flu vaccines

Nov 26, 2025 AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION: Current supply is expected to run out before the end of the year, and people at high risk of infection are urged to get vaccinated as soon as possible

The government has purchased 150,000 additional doses of free flu vaccines, as more than 90 percent of the supply has been used up, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. Supply of the remaining government-funded vaccines is expected to run out by the end of the year, but the new ones would be available starting next month, the CDC said.
There were 85,425 hospital visits for flu-like illnesses last week, covering the period from Nov. 16 to Saturday, which is 10.1 percent lower than the previous week, CDC Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) said


“However, 25 severe flu cases and 12 flu-related deaths were confirmed last week,” Tseng said, advising the public to remain vigilant as flu cases in neighboring countries, including Japan, South Korea and China, have seen a rapid rise, and are also climbing in Europe, the US and Canada.

The youngest severe case last week was a man in his 20s in central Taiwan, who has a history of hypertension, heart failure and kidney failure, and is on dialysis treatment, CDC physician Huang Po-han (黃柏翰) said, adding that the man had not been vaccinated against the flu.

His symptoms began with coughing and a runny nose, but worsened to include shortness of breath, difficulty breathing and fatigue. He sought treatment at an emergency room, where he was diagnosed with pulmonary infiltrates in both lungs, and tested positive for influenza A infection, Huang said.

After being hospitalized in an intensive care unit for four days, the man has been moved to a normal ward and is in stable condition, he said, urging people at a higher risk of severe complications from infection to get vaccinated.

CDC Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said that 6.68 million doses of government-funded flu vaccines were purchased for this flu season, and more than 6.12 million doses, or 91.7 percent, have been administered, while the remainder is expected to run out before the end of the year.

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan

[Commonground]

Vaccine still effective against new prevalent flu variant: Taiwan CDC
2025/12/01

Taipei, Nov. 30 (CNA) The current flu vaccine may provide weaker protection against infection by the new K subclade of the Influenza A virus subtype H3N2, but continues to show clear effectiveness in reducing the risk of severe illness, according to Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on Sunday.

The new strain of the flu virus now accounts for nearly 90 percent of confirmed flu cases in Taiwan, the CDC said.

CDC spokesperson Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) said that Taiwan first detected the K subclade in July, and the variant's share of H3N2 genetic sequences in Taiwan climbed quickly from 30.8 percent in July to 87.7 percent in October.

Tseng said findings from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control show the K subclade contains multiple genetic mutations and displays major antigenicity differences compared with the 2025-2026 Northern Hemisphere H3N2 vaccine strain.

She added that international studies indicate the influenza vaccine maintains strong performance in reducing severe illness and hospitalization risk, despite declining protection against infection.

Tseng said completing flu vaccine doses quickly remains a key measure for reducing health risks, preventing severe cases and preserving medical capacity as the K subclade continues to spread.

According to Tseng, overall flu outbreak activity in Taiwan is now at a low point and showing a steady decline, after this year's vaccination drive started in October.

Tseng warned that flu activity could rise again after the New Year period, with the next peak expected around the Lunar New Year.

https://www.ocac.gov.tw/OCAC/Eng/Pag...9&pid=81775358

[Commonground]

Dec 03, 2025
Flu cases to rise in next two weeks, CDC warns

VIGILANT: Enterovirus activity remains in the epidemic phase, with the CDC urging caregivers of infected children to be on the lookout for signs of severe illness


Influenza activity is rising in neighboring countries, and, with temperatures forecast to drop this week, flu cases are expected to increase in the next two weeks, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.

Hospitals reported 87,162 visits for flu-like illnesses between Nov. 23 and Saturday, which remained about the same level as the previous week, but nine deaths and 24 cases with serious flu complications were also confirmed last week, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo ****-wei (郭宏偉) said.

Flu activity reached a peak in late September before declining for eight consecutive weeks, CDC Deputy Director-General and spokesman Lin Min-cheng (林明誠) said


“We believe that the number [of weekly cases] would not continue to decline, and as temperatures drop this week, the number is expected to gradually increase in the next two weeks,” he said.

“A significant increase in cases is expected late this month and would reach a peak at about Lunar New Year” in February next year, he added.

Flu activity has been rising in Japan, South Korea and China, as well as European countries and Canada, Guo said.

One of the flu-related deaths confirmed last week was a five-year-old girl, who is the youngest to die this flu season, which started on Oct. 1, CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said.

The girl did not have underlying health conditions, but was not vaccinated against the flu, he said.

She began experiencing symptoms, including stomachache and constipation, in late October, but returned home after seeking medical attention, he said.

However, she began having a fever and stomach pain the next day and was brought to an emergency room, where she tested positive for influenza A, Lin Yung-ching said, adding that she later developed vomiting, convulsions, altered consciousness and pneumonia in both lungs.

The doctor determined the girl’s condition as flu infection with severe complications, including encephalitis and myocarditis, he said.

She was immediately admitted to an intensive care unit, but died of acute necrotizing encephalopathy and cardiovascular failure after two weeks of hospitalization, he said.

Meanwhile, the centers said that as enterovirus activity is still in the epidemic phase, caregivers of infected young children should especially remain vigilant and seek medical attention immediately if signs of severe illness occur.

Hospitals reported 11,913 visits for enterovirus infection last week, which also remains about the same as the previous week, Guo said.

The prevalence of echovirus 11, which caused several severe cases in newborns this year, has declined, and the dominant strains in the past few weeks were Coxsackie A viruses, with children younger than five prone to develop severe illness, Lin Yung-ching said.

He reminded caregivers of young children to watch for signs of severe illness, including sleepiness, unconsciousness, lethargy, weakness or numbness in the limbs, convulsion, persistent vomiting, shortness of breath and rapid heartbeat, and that when the symptoms occur, they should immediately seek medical attention.

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2025/12/03/2003848231

[Commonground]

Translated

• 2026.02.24

Type B influenza is expected to "overtake" Type A influenza next week! Up to 110,000 people may seek medical attention in March.

During this year's Lunar New Year period, there were 5 new cases of severe influenza complications and 2 deaths. The COVID-19 pandemic also saw 1 new severe case and 1 local death. Director-General Lo Yi-chun of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) predicts that Type B influenza will "overtake" Type A influenza as early as next Wednesday, with a peak of approximately 110,000 medical visits. Therefore, the CDC announced today (February 24th) that the expanded use of domestically funded influenza antiviral drugs will end on February 28th, 2026, and the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination program will be extended to April 30th, 2026. As for the domestically funded influenza vaccine, there are still over 87,000 doses remaining.

The CDC stated today (February 24th) that during this year's Lunar New Year period (February 15th-21st), there were 58,075 outpatient and emergency room visits for influenza-like illnesses. A total of 5 new cases of severe influenza complications and 2 deaths were reported. The predominant respiratory pathogen circulating in the community is the influenza virus, with type A (H3N2) accounting for 51.5% and type B accounting for 46.1%, a figure that continues to rise.

During the Lunar New Year period, the youngest case of severe influenza this season was a 3-month-old boy. Dr. Lin Yung-ching, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stated that this premature infant from northern Taiwan developed nasal congestion, runny nose, and cough in early February. He visited a clinic twice and was prescribed oral medication. Four days after the onset of symptoms, in early February, his activity level decreased and he became lethargic. A hospital outpatient visit revealed fever and a chest X-ray showing pneumonia. He was diagnosed with acute bronchiolitis and given oxygen and antibiotics. A rapid test for influenza B confirmed he was infected, and he was given antiviral and antibiotic treatment. The diagnosis was severe influenza B complicated by pneumonia. His condition stabilized on the seventh day of hospitalization, and he was discharged in mid-February, with a total hospital stay of [number missing]. Household transmission cannot be ruled out.

Lin Yung-ching stated that compared to influenza A, influenza B is more likely to cause severe leg pain, potentially leading to acute muscle inflammation, and in severe cases, rhabdomyolysis. Gastrointestinal discomfort, abdominal pain, and diarrhea are also more common. Although the symptoms are milder than influenza A, the hospitalization mortality rate is not significantly different between the two. He emphasized that vaccination remains the best preventative measure.

continued: https://www.ctee.com.tw/news/20260224701349-431401