Influenza (flu) claims hundreds of thousands of lives around the world
every year. In view of the good protective effects of the vaccine
and in order to reduce serious complications or the high death rate
caused by flu for senior citizens over 65, to lower the
hospitalization rate caused by flu for infants and children 6 to 23
months old, to prevent medical care personnel from being infected
with flu or to be a source of infection or have negative effects
upon their daily work and to prevent serious infection caused by the
genetic recombination of human and avian flu viruses, the Health
Bureau of Taipei City started injecting the persons mentioned above
with flu vaccine for free in mid-September, 2004.
Science has already proved that the flu vaccine is very effective in
preventing flu, and the higher the public immunization rate is, the
fewer the number infected with flu. Therefore, the government
encourages the high risk groups mentioned above to have free
vaccinations as soon as possible. Those who are not allowed to have
free vaccinations but are eager to be vaccinated against flu can go
to municipal hospitals or clinics to have a vaccination at their own
expense. The inquiry windows of self-funded flu vaccination places
are listed in Attachment I.
Some people are likely to be fearful of the harmful side effects of
flu vaccination, but in fact, the flu vaccine is a fairly safe
inactivated one. After being vaccinated against flu, only a few
people may suffer from pain, redness and swelling at the injection
site, fever and exhaustion, but generally, all these discomforts
will fade away one or two days after the vaccination and serious
side effects rarely occur. The Health Bureau reminds everybody to
pay attention to the following matters concerning flu vaccination:
I. Those that are allergic to egg-protein or other ingredients of
the vaccine cannot be vaccinated.
II. Infants less than 6 months old cannot be vaccinated.
III. Those that have ever had a bad reaction after injection cannot
be vaccinated.
IV. Those who are suffering from fever or acute diseases are advised
to go for vaccination later on.
V. Those that are pregnant shall be vaccinated according to doctors'
advice.
VI. Those that are advised by doctors not to have a flu vaccination
cannot be vaccinated.
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In addition to the above important notes, everybody shall be
diagnosed by doctors strictly before being vaccinated. Furthermore,
it is necessary to stay for about 30 minutes at the place of
vaccination after being vaccinated to prevent unusual allergic
reactions. If anyone experiences respiratory distress, asthma,
hives, vertigoes or heart palpitations within several hours after
vaccination, they must be hospitalized immediately.
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