Priority vaccination for high-risk groups with the MMR vaccine

Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced today (9th) that the measles vaccine is highly effective, with over 95% efficacy when two doses are administered. In Taiwan, the current routine immunization schedule for children includes one dose of the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) combined vaccine at 12 months old and another dose between 5 years old and prior to entering elementary school. In recent years, the completion rate for two doses has exceeded 97%, achieving herd immunity levels higher than those of advanced countries such as Europe, the United States, and Japan. According to serological surveys conducted in Taiwan, individuals born before 1981 mostly have measles antibodies due to natural infection. Studies from other countries on vaccinated cohorts indicate that while antibodies produced by vaccination may wane in rare cases, leading to infection, those infected post-vaccination typically experience milder symptoms and significantly lower transmissibility compared to unvaccinated individuals. Consequently, recent measles cluster events in Taiwan have been limited in spread, and the risk of a large-scale outbreak is low.

The CDC urges that, based on the current measles epidemic and vaccine supply, publicly funded vaccines are provided for routine immunization of children at 12 months and 5 years old (a total of two doses of MMR). For privately purchased vaccines, priority should be given to adults born in or after 1981, focusing on the following two groups, with adjustments to be made based on vaccine supply:

1. Healthcare workers born in or after 1981 who do not have proof of measles antibody positivity within the past five years and whose previous MMR vaccination was administered over 15 years ago.
2. Adults born in or after 1981 who need to travel to measles-endemic areas (e.g., Vietnam, India, Cambodia) and are assessed by a physician to require vaccination (Japan and South Korea are not considered measles-endemic areas).

The CDC emphasizes that healthcare workers can first undergo antibody testing to check for immunity against measles. If antibodies are present, revaccination is unnecessary. Additionally, current CDC surveillance indicates that the number of confirmed measles cases among those exposed is low, and the public should not panic. For measles-related questions, the public can visit the CDC's official website (https://www.cdc.gov.tw) or call the toll-free epidemic prevention hotline 1922 (0800-001922) for inquiries.

The list of contracted medical institutions in Taoyuan City offering self-paid MMR vaccination has been published on the Taoyuan City Health Bureau's official website. It can be found under the following navigation: Home > Business Information > Immunization > Routine Vaccination. The public can access the information at the following link: https://reurl.cc/Y4mWRl