Accra:More than 3 million flu vaccines and nearly 1 million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Taiwan under a publicly-funded program launched two weeks ago. Health authorities reported on Saturday that vaccination numbers for both flu and COVID-19 have increased significantly compared to the previous year.

According to Focus Taiwan, from October 1 to 16, a total of 3,151,137 people across 11 eligible groups received flu vaccines, while 988,347 individuals were vaccinated against COVID-19. These figures represent a 15.8 percent increase for flu vaccines and a 39.7 percent increase for COVID-19 vaccines compared to the same period last year, as per data from the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

The first phase of the program prioritized health care workers, people aged 65 or older, pregnant women, children, and those with underlying health conditions. The second phase, beginning November 2, will extend eligibility to individuals aged 50 to 64 without high-risk chronic illnesses.

As of Friday, 55.5 percent of health care workers, 31.8 percent of preschool children, and 32.7 percent of people aged 65 and older have received flu vaccines. While cases of flu and COVID-19 have declined this week, a significant portion remains severe, according to CDC spokesperson Lin Min-cheng.

Lin emphasized the importance of vaccination for high-risk groups, especially ahead of the upcoming long holidays and local election activities, to mitigate the risk of infection.