Demand for Flu Shot Surges Following Death of Actor Barbie Hsu

TaiwanPlus News

Following the death of Taiwanese celebrity Barbie Hsu from flu-related pneumonia, many members of the public are rushing to get a flu shot, leading to vaccine shortages at clinics and hospitals.

Transcript

00:00An outpouring of grief for Taiwanese actor Barbie Shih, who died while traveling in Japan,

00:08aged just 48.

00:10Also known as Big S, Shih was known as a TV host in Taiwan and for her role in the hit

00:15drama Meteor Garden back in 2001.

00:19Her death has sent shockwaves through the public, especially among her longtime friends

00:23and colleagues from the entertainment industry.

00:25I feel very sad and young at the same time.

00:29The sky is full of red smoke.

00:31I can only pray for my colleagues who have been with me for more than 10 years.

00:39Good luck, Big S. Have a safe trip.

00:44Shih died from complications from influenza that developed into pneumonia.

00:48While she contracted the virus in Japan, Taiwan is facing its worst flu outbreak in a decade,

00:54and Shih's death has led to a surge of people seeking vaccination.

00:57At first, I didn't think that I would get vaccinated if I had influenza.

01:03But after hearing the news, I felt like I should be careful because influenza can be

01:08quite serious.

01:09My son-in-law told me,

01:12Mom, this is big news.

01:16Everyone has to be careful.

01:18He told me he had been vaccinated.

01:20I didn't know until this morning that someone had died from influenza.

01:26So I decided to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

01:30Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control held an emergency press conference to address the

01:35flu outbreak, which has affected not just Asia, but also Europe and the Americas.

01:40Officials urged Taiwanese travelers to get vaccinated before heading abroad.

01:44While the public has taken Shih's death from the flu seriously, not everyone can get

01:49government-funded flu vaccines.

01:51Many clinics have already run out, with only about 200,000 doses remaining nationwide.

01:56The vaccine is administered every year in October.

01:59In February and March, the vaccine was administered to the end of October.

02:03So the vaccine is almost ready.

02:06Barbie Shih's death is a painful reminder of the flu's potential danger.

02:11And with flu cases on the rise and vaccine supplies running low, the Taiwanese public

02:16will have to act quickly to protect themselves from the outbreak.

02:20Ryan Wu and Chelsea Wu for Taiwan Plus.

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