Yilan County to Offer Free Shingles Vaccines to Vulnerable Elderly Starting as Early as July
The Yilan County Government announced a full subsidy for two doses of the shingles vaccine for eligible elderly residents and indigenous people from low-income households or with major illnesses, starting in July.
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- 📰 Published: April 22, 2026 at 17:33
- 🔍 Collected: April 22, 2026 at 18:02 (28 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 23, 2026 at 15:18 (21h 16m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(CNA Reporter Shen Ru-feng, Yilan County, 22nd) The Yilan County Government announced today that starting as early as July this year, it will fully subsidize the administration of two doses of the shingles vaccine for registered county residents aged 65 and above, and indigenous people aged 55 and above, provided they hold a National Health Insurance major illness certificate or belong to low- or lower-middle-income households.
The County Health Bureau issued a press release stating that the lifetime risk for Taiwanese people to develop shingles is about 32.2%, meaning one in three people will experience it, and it frequently occurs in the elderly or those with compromised immune systems. Shingles not only threatens the safety of patients and causes extreme discomfort, but its sequelae (neuralgia and sensory abnormalities) often persist for weeks, months, or even years.
The Health Bureau pointed out that the most effective way to prevent shingles is currently vaccination, but the vaccine price (two doses out-of-pocket) is as high as NT$12,000, which is undoubtedly a heavy burden for middle-aged and elderly vulnerable groups and citizens with major illnesses.
Yilan County Acting Magistrate Lin Mao-sheng stated in the press release that the county government has included the shingles vaccine subsidy in this year's general budget addition (reduction) plan. It is planned to prioritize full subsidies for two doses of the shingles vaccine per person for registered Yilan County residents aged 65 and above, and indigenous people aged 55 and above who meet the major illness criteria or belong to low-income or lower-middle-income groups. A total budget of NT$130 million has been allocated for this project, and it is expected to benefit over 11,000 county residents. (Editor: Li Heng-shan) 1150422
(CNA Reporter Shen Ru-feng, Yilan County, 22nd) The Yilan County Government announced today that starting as early as July this year, it will fully subsidize the administration of two doses of the shingles vaccine for registered county residents aged 65 and above, and indigenous people aged 55 and above, provided they hold a National Health Insurance major illness certificate or belong to low- or lower-middle-income households.
The County Health Bureau issued a press release stating that the lifetime risk for Taiwanese people to develop shingles is about 32.2%, meaning one in three people will experience it, and it frequently occurs in the elderly or those with compromised immune systems. Shingles not only threatens the safety of patients and causes extreme discomfort, but its sequelae (neuralgia and sensory abnormalities) often persist for weeks, months, or even years.
The Health Bureau pointed out that the most effective way to prevent shingles is currently vaccination, but the vaccine price (two doses out-of-pocket) is as high as NT$12,000, which is undoubtedly a heavy burden for middle-aged and elderly vulnerable groups and citizens with major illnesses.
Yilan County Acting Magistrate Lin Mao-sheng stated in the press release that the county government has included the shingles vaccine subsidy in this year's general budget addition (reduction) plan. It is planned to prioritize full subsidies for two doses of the shingles vaccine per person for registered Yilan County residents aged 65 and above, and indigenous people aged 55 and above who meet the major illness criteria or belong to low-income or lower-middle-income groups. A total budget of NT$130 million has been allocated for this project, and it is expected to benefit over 11,000 county residents. (Editor: Li Heng-shan) 1150422