TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC, 疾管署) reported on Tuesday (Feb. 11) that flu-related deaths reached 28 last week, including this flu season's youngest victim, a boy under 10 from southern Taiwan.
The boy, who had a history of asthma and had not received a flu vaccine, developed a fever and cough in mid-January. His condition worsened, requiring ICU admission, and he passed away about a week later.
Dr. Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) noted another severe case involving a girl under five from southern Taiwan who also had not been vaccinated. She is currently receiving treatment in the ICU for fever and cough. Lin emphasized that while pneumonia is the primary complication of the flu, younger children face a higher risk of encephalitis or brain disease, urging parents to monitor flu symptoms in infants and young children.
Flu outpatient and emergency visits reached 181,995 from last Tuesday to Monday, marking the highest record for the same period in the past 10 flu seasons. CDC Spokesperson Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) predicted that the flu outbreak might decrease as early as next week or the week after. However, she warned that events like the Lantern Festival (元宵節) and school reopening could cause fluctuations.
