Much like Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea, which are just a few of the heavily vaccinated countries that have been hit extraordinarily hard with the latest COVID-19 surges, Taiwan is also experiencing record numbers of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths. While Taiwan is 80.3% fully vaccinated, with one of the highest boost rates worldwide at about 65%, an unprecedented number of SARS-CoV-2 infections surge alongside record fatalities. While the mainstream media isn’t allowed to question the efficacy of these vaccines, that questioning can occur at TrialSite.

Local Taiwanese media such as Focus Taiwan report on the surge and corresponding COVID-19 death rate, which has now exceeded 0.1 percent over the past couple of days. The nation’s health authorities have reported consecutive daily death records despite a near fully immunized population. Health Minister Chen Shih-Chung reports a disturbing situation mirroring other nations in the region. The Taiwanese media reports that Taiwan’s wave will hopefully be less severe than what has occurred in Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, and New Zealand.

The mass vaccination program is now reaching children ages 5 to 11 with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, while adolescents receive their booster shot.

In one day, Focus Taiwan reports approximately 24,000 children's Pfizer-BNT vaccine shots were administered. This added to the daily total of 87,000 COVID-19 shots and a combined total of 54.39 million doses in the country to date in this nation of 23.6 million.

Source: Focus Taiwan

The current Omicron wave has been unlike any other surge experienced in this island nation off mainland China. Ongoing for approximately 50 days, daily cases have peaked at approximately 80,000 to 90,000, reports Focus Taiwan. About 15 to 20% of the population will be infected. This has occurred with over 80% of the population fully vaccinated and approximately 65% boosted.

Child Deaths

The local media reports a growing concern over the safety of children. Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) reports to date, 16 children under the age of 10 have reported severe symptoms.

Seven of those children died, including five who developed encephalitis, one who died of septic shock, and a boy whose death was ruled as caused by COVID-19 even though doctors were unable to determine how the disease progressed in his case.

Child deaths are up. In fact, Lee Ping-ing, a National Taiwan University Hospital Infectious diseases specialist and part of Taiwan’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, reports in a radio interview that COVID-19 related encephalitis is near the outbreak of a 1998 outbreak.

Back then, 120,000 children became infected with enterovirus; 405 cases became severe, and 78 children died, reports Focus Taiwan. As COVID-19 infections intensify, the risk for severe consequences grows. This reflects the importance of early treatment where and when possible.