Free flu vaccines roll out for 11 groups including people aged 65+ and children

Free flu vaccines roll out for 11 groups including people aged 65+ and children

2023-10-02

Publicly funded flu vaccines rolled out on Monday for 11 groups, including children and people aged 65 and older. This year the vaccines will be provided by four companies. In Taipei, Deputy Mayor Lee Shu-chuan rolled up his sleeve to kick off the inoculation program.

Publicly funded flu shots are now available. Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Shu-chuan took the lead, rolling up his sleeve for the shot. Currently 11 groups of people are eligible for free vaccination. They include people aged 65 and up, pre-school age children over six months old, medical staff, and students from elementary to high school.

Chiang Wan-an
Taipei mayor
With both the flu and COVID, we may enter hit a peak in cases this fall and winter. So we have launched the public inoculation program on the first day back from the long weekend.

Over at this school in New Taipei, children line up to get a shot.

Parent
I don’t care which vaccine brand is administered, because they should all provide a certain degree of protection.

This year the vaccines are supplied by the following: Adimmune, which will provide 50%; Sanofi, which will provide 27.5%; TTY Biopharm, which will provide 12.4%, and for the first time, Medigen, which will provide 10.1%. Which brand is administered at a site won’t be announced beforehand. KMT lawmakers say that’s a problem.

Wang Hung-wei
KMT lawmaker
To make its flu shot, Medigen imported vaccine bulk from South Korea and conducted sub-packaging in Taiwan. Many parents are worried that their children will get Medigen, and schools have no way to tell them which brand will be administered.

Liu Shih-fang
DPP lawmaker
If the vaccine has been certified by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, that means the FDA or the health ministry has conducted the relevant verification.

Hsueh Jui-yuan
Health minister
All four brands have undergone our strict inspections and they all cleared the checks. There is no reason to pick one over the other.

The vaccines will be made available for more groups starting next month. For now, the health ministry says eligible people should arrange to get vaccinated ahead of flu season.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

公費流感疫苗開打! 北市副市長李四川捲袖接種

2023-10-02

公費流感疫苗今天(10/2)開打，第1階段施打對象包括65歲以上長者、學齡前幼兒、醫事防疫人員等11類對象。此次疫苗廠牌包含4家，國光、賽諾菲、台灣東洋還有首次加入流感疫苗行列的高端。開放施打第一天，台北市副市長李四川，也親自上陣，捲起袖管，示範接種。

公費流感疫苗開打首日，台北副市長李四川，捲起袖子，當打針先鋒。11類對象包含65歲以上長者、學齡前幼兒、醫事防疫人員還有國小、國高中生等。

[[台北市長蔣萬安]]
“接下來不管是流感，或新冠疫情都可能進入秋冬時期(高鋒期)。連假之後的第一天，我們進行公費疫苗的施打。”

同樣在新北市的校園，小朋友一個接著一個，接種疫苗。

[[家長]]
“我不會擔心那個(疫苗)各廠牌，因為其實都應該有一定的保護力。”

疫苗廠牌方面，今年得標廠商包含國光，佔50%，賽諾菲27.5%，台灣東洋12.4% ，而高端今年首度加入行列，佔10.1%。會打到什麼牌子的疫苗，當天到場才會知道，但藍營又作文章了。

[[立委(國)王鴻薇]]
“這個高端它用的是韓國的(原液)，在台灣去分裝填充的。很多家長就說擔心我的孩子打到的是高端，但是學校完全沒有辦法給他做任何的承諾。”

[[立委(民) 劉世芳]]
“疫苗如果經過我們的衛福部拿到認證，其實就表示說我們的食藥署或是衛福部，有曾經做過驗證。”

[[衛福部長薛瑞元]]
“這4種公費疫苗都經過我們嚴格的檢視，那都是合格的疫苗，不必說特別去選擇什麼樣的疫苗。”

第二階段公費流感疫苗施打下個月就會登場，衛福部也鼓勵符合資格的民眾要安排疫苗接踵，度過流感高峰期。

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Taiwan bags two golds in men’s and women’s 3,000-meter roller skating relays

We start with the Asian Games, where Taiwan has added two skating golds to its medal tally. The men’s and women’s skate teams each won their final in the 3,000-meter relays. In the men’s event, Taiwan triumphed by just 0.01 seconds. It was a tough lesson for their South Korean opponents, who had celebrated the win prematurely.

The bell rings for the final lap. Sticking close to South Korea, Taiwan skater Huang Yu-lin drives in from the outside, pumping hard to clinch the win.

This was the men’s 3,000-meter relay team final. The skaters crossed the line at almost the same time, with South Korea appearing to finish first, as his body was farther forward. But his team’s celebration was cut short when the scores were released. Taiwan clocked in at 4 minutes, 5.692 seconds – just 0.01 seconds ahead of South Korea.

South Korea’s Jung Cheol-won’s had thrown his arms up in joy at the finish line, but the celebration proved premature. The Taiwan skater had been right at his heels, overtaking him by the breadth of one front wheel. The outcome left South Korea stunned. The victory has been hailed as “miraculous,” and has become of Taiwan’s most dramatic moments at the games.

Huang Yu-lin
Skating gold medalist
We won by that one wheel. Yesterday we were really down. And today we thought we placed second, but then, we looked at the screen and we were first! It was a roller coaster of emotions.

Huang, Taiwan’s anchor in the relay event, had brought his team to victory. One day earlier, he had shed tears after getting disqualified from the men’s 1,000-meter sprint due to a collision with other athletes.

Less than 24 hours later, he’s got a gold medal around his neck. The athlete says it was all thanks to perseverance and a great team strategy.

Huang Yu-lin
Skating gold medalist
Before crossing the finish line, I went to a higher part of the track, so that gravity would give me speed as I went down the slope on the final sprint. I tried to do it and succeeded.

Before the men’s 3,000-meter relay gold, Taiwan had already secured gold in the women’s 3,000-meter relay, also by defeating South Korea, their main competition.

A member of the women’s team is 31-year-old Yang Ho-chen楊合貞, a legend in the sport. Yang has collected golds at many competitions, but was missing one from the Asian Games. Monday’s race was her final international competition, and she finally fulfilled her wish.

Yang Ho-chen
Skating gold medalist
We were all set on getting this gold medal, even before the race, with our coaching team. I would like to thank my teammates for all the efforts we’ve made to win this gold.

With the two team golds, Taiwan’s medal haul in roller skating is now four golds, two silvers, and one bronze.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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Taipei MRT removes central stanchions from two Orange Line trains

If you are a rider of the Orange Line in the Taipei MRT, you may have noticed something different on some of the trains. The central grab poles, called stanchions, have been removed from four cars on two trains. The removal is meant to ease the flow of passengers getting on and off the train, and prevent crowding near the doors. But it has also reduced the number of places passengers can hold onto, especially if they are shorter or have arm mobility issues.

The train arrives at the platform, and the doors open. Inside, something feels a little off. The pole that used to be in the middle of the car is gone.

Passenger
I think having the pole there gives passengers another place to hold onto. But removing it makes it possible for more people to come in.

Passenger
Sometimes when the train is braking or accelerating it can be a bit wobbly, and you bump against other people.

Some people like the change, but parents with children not so much. Back in September, the Taipei MRT revamped two trains running on the Orange Line, removing the central stanchions from Car 2 to Car 5 on each train.

And that’s not the only difference. A yellow sign has been posted on the floor, designating the area in front of the doors as a waiting area for alighting passengers. The redesign aims to clear out space to make it easier for passengers to move in and out, and prevent crowding at the doors.

Mishelle Meng
FTV reporter
In the trials, grab handles have been kept in their original places at the center and on the sides of the car. But for someone like me, at 159 centimeters tall, you have to stretch out your arm quite a bit to hold on properly. This has raised concerns that people with lower stature, children and people with frozen shoulder may have nowhere to grab onto. If the train takes a turn or pulls on the brakes, it could be a cause of accidents.

Voice of Ling Chi-yao
Metro Taipei Costumer Service Center
Metro Taipei looked at other metro systems around the world. The grab handles and handrails have been kept. Passengers can sit down on the seats, hold onto the grab bars on the sides of the doors, or grab the handrails to be steady during the ride.

Metro Taipei says the trial has been quite effective, but did not elaborate on whether more stanchions will be removed.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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Apple says iPhone 15 overheating because of bugs, not chips

Apple’s iPhone 15 models hit the market less than two weeks ago. Since then, there have been widespread complaints about all four models running hotter than expected. A South Korean business outlet blamed TSMC, which made the phones’ 3-nanometer chips. But in a statement to U.S. media, Apple said the problem was in software, not hardware, and that it was already working on a solution.

After four days with the new iPhone 15, one user named Jason says he’s impressed with the improved photo quality and autofocus speed. But he’s noticed that the device runs hot when he’s using certain apps or streaming video for just 20 or 30 minutes.

Voice of Jason
iPhone 15 user
Starting with the iPhone 12, there were issues with overheating. The situation got better after they switched to 3-nanometer chips, but there’s room for improvement. I have a friend who’s a heavy gamer, who can’t get the phone to charge once it overheats. A protective mechanism is activated, and that stops the charge or reduces its efficiency.

The iPhone 15 series raised alarms as soon as it was launched. Users reported temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius on the new models. In a side-by-side comparison, one tech expert found that 16 minutes of charging got the iPhone 14 Pro hotter by 7.5 degrees Celsius, while the iPhone 15 Pro rose by 5 degrees. The expert said the heat problem might have to do with the charging cable.

Tim
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The cable supports USB Power Delivery, which means it can achieve a faster charge. The charging speed will be faster, but you’ll also get higher temperatures.

Last week, South Korea’s BusinessKorea blamed the issue on TSMC’s 3-nanometer A17 Pro chip. But in a recent statement, Apple said the overheating was not related to hardware, but to a bug in the operating system and recent updates to third-party apps that were causing the system to overload.

Liao A-hui
Tech expert
This is their first time using the 3-nanometer process. Although this may have its own potential issues, Apple has responded that the problem is not with the chip design, but with small bugs in the software. Later they will roll out an iOS update, and we’ll see how effective the update is.

Apple said that a forthcoming iOS update will address the issue, and that the update won’t compromise device performance. The announcement gave a lift to market confidence, with TSMC opening up NT$7 in Monday trade, at NT$530.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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Taichung trumpets AI system to catch posters of illegal notices

Taichung City has introduced a new AI detection system to catch people who post illegal notices in public. Notices posted by businesses such as land developers and real estate agents are a common sight on utility poles, although such postings are illegal. But now the city’s Environmental Protection Bureau hopes to improve law enforcement by using the AI surveillance system to fine offenders. The system can catch the offender’s face and license plate.

Illegal notices of all shapes and colors stack on this utility pole. Beside the four ads here, there’s a graveyard of tape marks from past notices.

As fast as the Environmental Protection Bureau can tear them down, more go up. It’s a never-ending, exhausting job.

In Taichung City, for example, street cleaners removed 5.23 million notices last year. But they’re hard to prosecute, leading to fines for just 407 posters, a total of NT$1.64 million. It’s impossible to police. But now the bureau has a new tool: an AI system developed with NCHU Department of Computer Science and Engineering. It’s designed to catch illegal posters in the act.

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As soon as someone approaches the utility pole, a sensor detects them, and within four seconds, it can capture key images of the person and their vehicle license plate, sending them straight to the National Police Agency. A fine can be issued within a day.

Chen Hung-yi
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In the future, we will install mobile imaging equipment, and move them to any place that becomes a popular spot for notices, in order to catch offenders at any time.

The Environmental Protection Bureau says it intends to develop a facial recognition system to track faces. That will allow offenders to be caught even without a license plate.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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They say that Taiwan’s most beautiful vista is the people. That was obvious to viewers of a viral video, which showed gas station employees rushing from their work to help an injured scooter rider. The rider was knocked off his scooter by another road user, but thankfully made a good recovery. The traffic accident occurred just outside a gas station where, as luck would have it, the employees are trained in first aid. We spoke to the rider and the first aid team to find out more.

This CCTV footage shows the moment a scooter rider is thrown off their vehicle, seemingly having bumped a passing scooter. They’re in too much pain to stand. Nearby gas station employees, seeing the incident, put down their work and rush to the rider’s aid.

Member of public
They were willing to put down their work and rush over to help, to help people. From that you can see the warmth and heart of Taiwanese people.

Member of public
It’s true what they say: Taiwan’s most beautiful vista is the people. If anybody sees someone who needs help, they will feel obliged to go and help.

These gas station workers are a trained first aid team. When they saw a traffic accident, six employees leapt into action, some grabbing traffic cones and directing traffic, others putting up a parasol for the casualty while they waited for an ambulance.

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We had to, because we were concerned about the danger, and the chance of a second collision.

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What happened was that I was riding my scooter on the road, and I don’t know why, but suddenly I felt something like a tire bursting behind me. I went flying, and then I stabilized the scooter, and when I looked back I saw another scooter had hit me from behind.

The rider told us of his panic at the collision, and how lucky he felt to have the support of the gas station staff.

The gas station says there are often traffic accidents in the area. The company regularly provides first aid training and drills for employees, to minimize any casualties from local accidents.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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