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Important global outbreak alert by CECC
Starting from December 1st, eight hospitals with travel clinics to offer self-paid Mpox vaccine; individuals eligible for government-funded vaccine advised to get fully vaccinated for full protection
The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) announced today that, in response to the international Mpox outbreak, self-paid Mpox vaccination services will be available starting December 1st, 2024, to protect public health and reduce the risk of Mpox infection. Individuals who are not eligible for the government-funded Mpox vaccine but are assessed by a physician to be at risk of exposure can receive the self-paid vaccine. These individuals include foreign nationals in Taiwan with risk behaviors who do not have a National Health Insurance (NHI) card or Resident Certificate, as well as individuals planning to travel to countries at high risk of Mpox outbreaks (based on international travel health notices) and may have potential exposure risks. Taiwan CDC has raised the travel health notice to "Level 2: Alert" for the following countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burundi, the United States, Brazil, and Australia. Countries under the "Level 1: Watch" travel notice include Thailand, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Asia; Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Germany, and France in Europe; Peru, Mexico, Colombia, Canada, Argentina, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic in the Americas; and the Central African Republic, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Ivory Coast in Africa. Taiwan CDC reminds travelers planning to visit these destinations to take appropriate protective measures. It also reminds individuals to visit a travel clinic 6-8 weeks prior to travel to assess their vaccination needs and receive the full 2-dose series (at least a 4-week interval between doses). If an individual is unable to complete the full series, the individual is recommended to receive at least the first dose 2 weeks before departure. Considering public demand and the capacity of hospitals with travel clinics, the self-paid vaccine will be available at 8 hospitals in 6 special municipalities: National Taiwan University Hospital, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Taoyuan General Hospital (Ministry of Health and Welfare), Taichung Hospital (Ministry of Health and Welfare), Tungs' Taichung Metroharbor Hospital, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, and Kaohsiung Municipal United Hospital. Further adjustments will be made based on the progress of implementation. The cost of the self-paid Ｍpox vaccine is NT$6,986 per dose. Other related costs, including consultation, registration, and pharmaceutical service fees, will be determined and charged by the contracted medical facilities according to their own fee standards.
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and various national surveillance reports, a cumulative total of approximately 21,195 confirmed cases of Mpox have been reported globally as of week 44 this year. The majority of these cases are concentrated in Africa (50.7%) and the Americas (27.7%). Since May, there has been an outbreak of the clade Ib variant in eastern DRC and Burundi. The WHO has declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and has urged countries to be vigilant about cross-border transmission. Currently, cases of the clade Ib variant have been reported in several African countries, including Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, as well as in Eurasian countries such as Thailand, Sweden, India, Germany, and the United Kingdom. In the Asia-Pacific region, Mpox infections in China and Thailand remain stable, while Australia has seen a significant surge since May, reaching a cumulative total of over 1,000 cases, with the epidemic still at its peak. New Zealand, its neighboring country, has also seen a rise in cases since October, and the situation will require further monitoring as it develops.
Taiwan CDC pointed out that since Mpox was classified as a Category II communicable disease on June 23, 2022, Taiwan has had a total of 444 confirmed cases as of November 11, 2024, with 417 domestic and 27 imported cases. Of these confirmed cases, 85 cases were confirmed this year (77 domestic and 8 imported). Taiwan has not reported any cases of the clade Ib variant. However, attention must be paid to the risk of domestic transmission from imported cases. Given the ongoing risk of domestic and international transmission, Taiwan CDC urges individuals who meet the criteria for the government-funded Mpox vaccine to get vaccinated as soon as possible. These eligible individuals include the following: people who have engaged in risky sexual behavior in the past year (such as people with multiple sexual partners, including those who have had sexual intercourse with more than one person at different times, people who engage in sex work, and people who have had sexual intercourse at commercial venues), individuals with a history of sexually transmitted diseases, or those who have a sexual partner with any of the above risks. It is recommended that these individuals complete the 2-dose of Mpox vaccination regimen to achieve full protection. Currently, there are 264 contracted clinics/medical facilities in Taiwan that offer the government-funded Mpox vaccine. For more information, please see the Service Sites of Mpox Vaccine page under the Mpox Vaccination section of the Taiwan CDC website (https://gov.tw/3SG).