Subject: Notice regarding the Ministry of Health and Welfare's revised "2026-2027 COVID-19 Vaccination Program" – Free Novavax XFG COVID-19 vaccination will be available for eligible individuals aged 12 and above starting October 19, 2026. Eligible faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to receive the vaccine to enhance overall campus immunity.
Details:
1. Administrative Basis:
This announcement is processed in accordance with the Ministry of Education's forward of the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) Official Letter No. 1150201021 dated October 8, 2026.
2. Key Highlights of the Novavax XFG Vaccine:
- Effective Date: Starting October 19, 2026.
- Eligible Age & Audience: Individuals aged 12 and above who meet government-funded eligibility criteria.
- Vaccination Recommendation: Prioritized for faculty, staff, and students aged 12 and above who are unsuitable for or prefer not to receive mRNA vaccines (e.g., Moderna).
3. Government-Funded Eligibility Categories:
- Seniors aged 65 and above.
- Indigenous individuals aged 55–64.
- Residents and staff of long-term care and nursing institutions.
- Pregnant women.
- High-risk individuals aged 6 months and older:
- High-risk chronic disease patients: Individuals with outpatient or inpatient records for diabetes, chronic liver disease (including cirrhosis), cardiovascular disease (excluding isolated hypertension), chronic lung disease, kidney disease, or immunocompromised conditions (e.g., HIV infection); or those evaluated and confirmed by a doctor without prior records; or individuals with a BMI $\ge$ 30.
- Rare disease patients: Indicated on the NHI card or holding supporting official documents (disease codes can be queried on the Health Promotion Administration website based on the latest announcement).
- Major illness/injury patients: Indicated on the NHI card or holding a Major Illness/Injury Certificate card.
- Patients with specific medical conditions: Individuals with tuberculosis, disabilities (ADHD, cerebral palsy, congenital defects, developmental/learning disabilities, spinal cord injury), mental health conditions (mood disorders, schizophrenia), or dementia, upon medical evaluation and approval.
- Healthcare professionals and public health epidemic prevention staff.
- Kindergarten and childcare facility staff, and registered home-based child care providers (nannies).
- Parents or primary caregivers of infants under 6 months of age.
- Children aged 6 months to under 6 years who have never received any COVID-19 vaccine.
- Adults aged 50–64 without high-risk conditions (calculated as "Vaccination Year" minus "Birth Year" $\ge$ 50).
- Additional Booster Dose: Seniors aged 65 and above, Indigenous individuals aged 55 and above, and individuals aged 6 months and older with immunodeficiency or compromised immunity may receive one additional dose at least 6 months (180 days) after their previous dose. Any approved brand suitable for the recipient's age may be selected (can differ from the 1st dose brand).
- Immunocompromised individuals include: Cancer patients undergoing/within 1 year of immunosuppressive treatment, organ/stem cell transplant recipients, moderate/severe primary immunodeficiency patients, dialysis patients, HIV-infected individuals, current users of high-dose immunosuppressants (e.g., high-dose steroids, alkylating agents, antimetabolites, transplant-related drugs, chemotherapy, TNF blockers, other immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory biologic agents), individuals undergoing chemotherapy/radiotherapy in the past 6 months, or others evaluated by a physician.
4. Vaccination Instructions:
Eligible faculty, staff, and students are kindly requested to evaluate their personal health status and visit contracted medical institutions with their National Health Insurance (NHI) Card and relevant supporting documents to make an appointment.
5. Additional Information:
Relevant information regarding the vaccination program is available on the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) official website (https://www.cdc.gov.tw/) under: Communicable Diseases & Prevention > Disease Information > Category 4 Communicable Diseases > Severe Special Infectious Pneumonia (COVID-19) > COVID-19 Vaccine. This information is provided for vaccination implementation staff to follow and use; please pay close attention to updated announcements.
Health Care Center, Office of Student Affairs cares about you.