TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Centers for Disease Control Director-General Lo Yi-chun (羅一鈞) on Tuesday cautioned that a new wave of COVID could emerge this summer, as authorities extend expanded vaccination through the end of July and prepare next-generation vaccines for the fall.
Lo said Taiwan has seen summer COVID waves in each of the past two years, with peaks in mid-June last year and early July in 2024, per CNA. Authorities will begin closely monitoring for an upward trend starting in late May, as another wave driven by the BA.3.2 variant remains possible.
According to the CDC, about 1.69 million COVID vaccine doses had been administered this year as of April 26. Lo said the inventory stands at roughly 900,000 doses, including about 165,000 Novavax and 738,000 Moderna doses, CNA reported.
The remaining Novavax doses are set to expire on April 30, prompting the CDC to procure an additional 10,000 doses to maintain supply. Vaccination eligibility has been expanded since Jan. 1 to all individuals aged 6 months and older who have not yet received a dose this season.
Since April 7, seniors aged 65 and above, Indigenous people aged 55 to 64, and immunocompromised individuals have been eligible for an additional dose, according to CNA. Lo urged those who have not yet received this season’s COVID vaccine to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Lo said a new version of the Moderna vaccine will be introduced this fall and winter with one-fifth of the original antigen dose. The updated formulation is expected to reduce side effects such as fever and injection-site swelling by about 50%.
The new vaccine has already been approved in the US, while Taiwan has cleared XBB-related formulations pending final strain selection. Procurement is expected to begin in July after the World Health Organization announces recommended strains in early June, with deliveries targeted for late August or September and rollout planned for Oct. 1, per CNA.
Lo said this year’s procurement is likely to be reduced from last year’s 3 million doses to around 2.5 million. The final amount will depend on supply conditions, public demand, and recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
