Flu and Covid shots now available for free for 11 high risk groups

Flu and Covid shots now available for free for 11 high risk groups

2026-10-01

Flu and Covid shots are now available for free, for people in 11 high risk groups. The vaccines are available at almost 4,000 hospitals and health centers around the country. And if you go for a jab, remember that this year, there are Health Tokens to be redeemed. Let’s hear more.

Philip Lo
CDC
The flu epidemic is at its peak. Following the long weekend, the surge in people seeking medical care is expected to keep this peak going until around mid-October, after which cases should gradually begin to decline. The overall flu outbreak is not expected to subside until around mid-November, so we urge the public to take advantage of the time now.

Shih Chung-liang
Minister of Health and Welfare
From 10 am today, the Health Bank began linking with Health Tokens, which can be redeemed on the Health Go app. The budget allocated for the platform was around NT$50 million.

The slogan for this year’s vaccination campaign is “Flu on the left arm, Covid on the right arm,” to encourage people to get protected against both diseases in one go. In this initial rollout, the shots are available for high-risk groups including people aged 65 and up, pregnant women and people with high-risk conditions. It also includes long-term care, healthcare and medical workers. With the Health Token program, getting your shots can earn you tokens, which can later be exchanged for health-related products and services.

#healthtokens #vaccines #shots #jabs #covid

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

公費流感＋新冠同步開打! 打兩針可賺"健康幣"

2026-10-01

公費流感、新冠疫苗今天（1日）同步開打，首波鎖定11類高風險族群，全台近4000家合約院所都能施打，而且今年打疫苗還能賺「健康幣」。

[[疾管署署長羅一鈞]]
“目前流感還是處於最高點，是在高峰期，而且這個高峰期大概隨著連假後，有很多就醫的人潮，可能會持續到大概十月中之後，才慢慢開始下降，但是整個流感疫情，估計要到十一月中才會可能結束流行，才會特別希望說民眾可以把握時間。”

[[衛福部長石崇良]]
“那我們今天早上是十點開始，健康存摺就會連結健康幣，那同時大家也可以去下載Health GO的這個APP，那麼做後續的兌換準備。那今年的(資訊平臺)編列的預算大概在五千萬左右。”

今年推動「左手流感、右手新冠」，兩種疫苗可以同時接種。第一階段鎖定11類高風險族群，包括65歲以上長者、幼兒、孕婦、高風險慢性病患，以及醫事、長照機構人員等。今年還有「健康加碼」，10月上路的「健康幣」政策，也將流感、新冠等預防接種納入獎勵，讓民眾提升保護力的同時，還能累積健康幣。

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Winter melon with lemon overtakes bubble tea as foreign favorite

Bubble tea is the pride of Taiwan. It’s a must-have whenever people come to visit from abroad. But many people have found that their foreign friends aren’t used to chewing pearls in their drink, and they prefer having it without. Instead the tangy and sweet winter melon with lemon was the greatest crowd-pleaser, followed by Yakult drinks and fruit teas.

Bubble milk tea is Taiwan’s most iconic drink. For most people visiting from abroad, it’s a must-have. But actually, some people have pointed out that their foreign friends like another drink more.

With its tangy and refreshing taste, winter melon with lemon juice has taken the crown as the most universally loved favorite. We went to ask some visitors what they think.

- Have you tried the fruity ones?
- No, I haven’t tried the fruity ones.
- OK, so here’s a chance.
- OK, which one is this one?
- Winter melon with lemon.
- OK, here goes!

This traveler from the US gave it a thumbs up after one sip.

- It tastes like mild lemonade. It’s, like, sweet, but there’s a strong sense of lemon in it.
- Do you think that the foreigners will like this?
- Yeah, absolutely.

On an online list of drinks to recommend to foreigners, ones with Yakult and papaya with milk were also favorites.

Hsu Chun-wei
Drink shop manager
They seem to like fruity drinks and ones that are refreshing and thirst-quenching. Winter melon with lemon perfectly fits that sweet-and-sour profile. About four of every 10 order boba. The fruit drinks have also done well.

Visitor from Vietnam
Passionate about boba
Vietnamese very very like pearl milk tea in Taiwan.

Visitor from Germany
Sharing cultural differences
I almost never drink milk tea. In foreign countries, like in Germany, “bubble tea” is usually sold as fruity tea. Especially also the bubbles are fruity. It’s like, if you bite on them, they pop and then there comes some fruity flavor out of it. I also prefer passion fruit with green tea over bubble tea.

While boba is loved among travelers in Asia, people from Western countries tend to find the tapioca hard to get used to. Although bubble tea remains the pride of Taiwan, the next time you’re hosting visitors, consider introducing them to other flavors as well!

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

#bubbletea #boba #foreigntravelers #wintermelon #drinkculture #drinks #milktea

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Taiwanese celebrities flock to celebrate China National Day

Today marks China’s National Day and some Taiwanese celebrities have sparked a wave of public outrage over their opinions. Among them were actress Michelle Chen, who stood at the Great Wall and wished China a prosperous future in a CCTV special. On Weibo, the trend continued with a series of reposts. Comedian and singer Huang An, who has long been pro-China, was among the first to post a message for China’s National Day. Though controversial, the Mainland Affairs Council says the messages are not illegal.

China’s National Day celebrations have kicked off. A promotional video features Taiwanese actress, Michelle Chen, dressed to impress at the Great Wall and confessing her love for the nation. In the video, she refers to China as her “motherland” and wishes it a future filled with prosperity.

Additionally, Taiwanese actor, Morning Zhang, who is currently in Xiamen, shouted the slogan, “The Chinese Dream, My Home and Country.” The two are promoting CCTV’s National Day special program, which they also appeared in.

China celebrates its 77th anniversary with promotional videos and stage performances leading to a wave of support on Weibo. Chinese state media CCTV also launched a National Day greeting video with many Taiwanese celebrities sharing and leaving messages.

Taiwanese entertainer, Huang An, was eager to fire the first birthday message for China’s National Day with a Weibo post. The images included messages such as “Celebrating National Day,” “1949 to 2026,” to “77th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China,” making his love for China indisputable.

Aside from Huang An and Will Liu, other Taiwanese celebrities who shared messages include Jiro Wang, Peter Ho, and Ken Chu. Wu Kang-ren, a two time Golden Horse Award winner, had his studio post a message in advance, stating, “May our land be beautiful and our nation prosperous and peaceful,” indicating his support.

Liang Wen-chieh
Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister
19 people posted celebratory messages, forwarding CCTV’s post and template. It’s mostly these celebrities. Some of them, you wouldn’t know they’re Taiwanese unless you were specifically reminded. We talked about two red lines last time: first, you cannot advocate for the use of force against Taiwan; second, you cannot advocate for the elimination of the Republic of China’s sovereignty. If these cases arise, we would investigate and deal with them.

The Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister emphasized the two rules, as long as no lines are crossed, there are no issues. It seems that every year on China’s National Day, pro-China celebrities face extreme scrutiny.

#chinanationalday #republicofchina #china #taiwan #crossstraitrelations

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

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Village chief candidate made unrecognizable by AI editing

With local elections approaching, campaign billboards are popping up everywhere. Candidates often edit younger photos of themselves for posters, but now some are directly using AI, like Hsu Mei-fang, who’s running for village chief in Songling, Zhongli. People online said her photo was so heavily edited that she’s no longer recognizable.

This election campaign poster looks like a marriage advertisement, even with “Hsu Mei-fang wants to marry you” in big pink characters. The candidate for Songling village chief in Zhongli is pictured with delicate, polished features and her fingers making a heart shape. The photo has been heavily edited, likely by AI.

People online couldn’t stop criticizing it, calling it “the most repulsive campaign poster” and saying AI made the candidate look completely different and utterly unrecognizable. Some even called it fraud.

Songling Village resident
Can’t recognize candidate
I looked up her real photo and it’s completely different. They should use a photo taken in the last three months, not one that’s been heavily edited like this.

- I don’t know what she actually looks like.

After sparking residents’ curiosity, Hsu appeared in person to answer their questions.

- That’s me!

Hsu is introducing herself to make sure people recognize her. It’s her first time in front of a news camera, showing her true self.

Hsu Mei-fang
Songling village chief candidate
I want you to see my authentic self. Hopefully it’s not as bad as you thought.

She posted a video and explanation, saying she’s come to face the music, acknowledging her poster’s shock factor, and emphasizing that her supporters made it. She welcomed people to come to Zhongli and meet her in person. Hsu isn’t the only one. A candidate for village chief in Kaohsiung, 25-year-old Lee Chih-wei, has also been called out for heavily editing her photo. Politicians have often used younger photos, but now they’ve started using AI images as well. While it can save the cost of a professional photo shoot, heavy editing makes candidates difficult to recognize, and voters say it’s harder to trust them.

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

#election #localelection #villagechief #AI #AIimage #photo #editing #filter #poster #billboard #campaign

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OneSong Orchestra invites Korea’s Jasmine Choi for European tour

The renowned Korean flautist Jasmine Choi has teamed up with Taiwan’s OneSong Orchestra for three concerts in Taiwan followed by a European tour to Vienna, Prague, Dresden, and Berlin. Choi says the songs in this concert accompanied her growing up and remind her of her mother’s warmth and love.

Renowned Korean flautist Jasmine Choi takes the stage in a beautiful blue dress, returning to Taiwan to perform the piece Taiwan Dreams in a Golden Age with the OneSong Orchestra.

The piece incorporates melodies well known in Taiwan and Korea, and it reminds Choi of her childhood. She says these songs accompanied her growing up.

Jasmine Choi
Flautist
I know these tunes growing up, so most of the time I’m so nostalgic and I think of my mother, and I try to create her warmth and her love and her smell, so it was very special for me every time I even practiced.

The OneSong Orchestra invited Choi for three performances in Taiwan, in Taichung on Sept. 26, Taipei on Sept. 27, and Kaohsiung on Oct. 2, sharing their music with Taiwan audiences before departing for a European tour.

Choi posted on social media after the performance in Taichung, thanking the audience and noting how music connects people. She will soon depart for Europe with the orchestra, bringing Taiwan’s music to historic concert halls in Vienna, Prague, Dresden, and Berlin.

Lee Che-yi
OneSong Orchestra music director
Taiwanese culture is very diverse. Even though it’s a small country, we have many different elements. Through these concerts, I hope people in Europe can quickly get a feel for all the different aspects of Taiwanese music. This is a very important part of our European tour.

Choi and the OneSong Orchestra are performing for audiences across Taiwan and Europe, connecting people across cultures through music.

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

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Victim fires back at honey trap claims in Neihu borough warden race

After a past conviction for attempted sexual assault came to light, a borough warden candidate in Taipei announced he was quitting the race. But it turns out; he is still canvassing for votes. Wang Chien-sheng, is the son of the current borough warden in Neihu’s Wufen Borough, and even his father believes he is still in the race. Now, as rumors circulate that he was set up in a so-called “honey trap,” the victim, Ms. Chen, is speaking out.

Ms. Chen
Victim of attempted sexual assault
Wang Chien-sheng is not suited to become Wufen’s borough warden. All he says is lies.

An attempted sexual assault conviction has cast a shadow over Wang Chien-sheng’s bid to follow in his father’s footsteps and run for borough warden at Neihu’s Wufen Borough. Once his history came to light, Wang announced he was withdrawing from the race on Facebook. But shortly after, he’s been accused of canvassing for votes anyway while some try to spin the narrative that his conviction was a setup.

Ms. Chen
Victim of attempted sexual assault
He’s a bastard. When I saw him, there was only one piece of clothing left on him. The rest was lying on the side of my bed.

Five years have passed, and it remains tough for Ms. Chen to recall the incident, which took a toll on her both physically and mentally. Now that she’s being accused of honey trapping Wang, she’s come forward to explain the truth about the situation.

Ms. Chen
Victim of attempted sexual assault
If I had been trying to honey trap him, how could the court have convicted and sentenced him. Though it’s been a long time, I still feel an incredibly deep pain in my heart.

Wu Hsin-tai
Taipei City Councilor Candidate (TSP)
Somehow, this person, who did something wrong, can still work as an aide to a sitting councilor, and even run for election for village chief. Even when the victim comes forward to talk about what happened, she’s forced to once again prove to everyone that she has evidence. This whole situation is unacceptable.

We called Wang’s father, aka, the current neighborhood warden to ask about his son’s electoral race.

- Only he would know. I don’t know.
- Did he withdraw?
- No, no, he didn’t.

Our reporter went to the neighborhood warden’s office early in the morning. But it so happened he was handing out bags of rice to locals, and declined to comment on the matter.

#sexualassault #sa #rice #election #taiwan

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

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Heart of Tainan’s new railway project is finally unveiled

Tainan’s underground railway system has a new look! The underground stations are finally unveiled. We’ll give you a sneak peak at the heart of the station, the central control room, as well as the electromechanical and ventilation equipment that won’t be visible once the station opens! Let’s hear more.

Stepping into the brand new underground station of Tainan’s Railway system, the first thing that catches the eye is the well-lit, spacious passenger hall. Although the passageway gates are covered, they are equipped with the latest technology from the Taiwan Railway.

Shih Chun-hua
Railway Bureau
Passenger information viewing system and ticket verification gates are the latest generation, capable of handling all payment conditions.

Entering the central control room, there is a comprehensive system that combines vehicle monitoring, electromechanical equipment and various safety and disaster prevention systems.

Wang Chun-hsuan
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All of the station’s life support systems as well as the tunnel monitoring systems including ventilation and fire protection are connected to the central control room.

Similarly, the electromechanical passageway, which is not open to passengers, has large exhaust fans and smoke extraction rooms that control the tunnel’s ventilation. As for the platform level below, there is a different view of the underground tracks compared to the surface tracks.

Cheng Po-hui
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This is Tainan’s TR platform after upgrades. The most distinctive feature you can see is that the tracks, which were originally of gravel, have been replaced with slab tracks without ballast.

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For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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