Page 81 - 2024 Taiwan Health and Welfare Report

06 ｜ Communicable Disease Control

Managing communicable diseases requires Act" are two major sets of regulations governing
disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, communicable disease prevention and control. In
preparedness, research, and proper immunization. response to the Severe Special Infectious Pneumonia
Additionally, relevant regulations must keep pace with (COVID-19) prevention needs, the Legislative Yuan
global trends and changing health needs to construct passed the third reading of the "Special Act for
a solid framework that can ensure the health and Prevention, Relief and Revitalization Measures for Severe
wellbeing of the people. Pneumonia with Novel Pathogens" on February 25,
2020, which was then promulgated by the President.
Chapter 1 Communicable Disease On May 31, 2021, the Legislative Yuan amended the
Control Regulations and aforementioned Act to raise the special budget cap to
System NTD 840 billion and extend its implementation period
In order to prevent the incidence and prevalence to June 30, 2022. Considering the rapid changes in
of communicable diseases, Taiwan has enacted the COVID-19 situation, the Legislative Yuan further
the Communicable Disease Control Act and related agreed on May 27, 2022, to extend the implementation
regulations. The Act specifies the obligations and rights period of the Act and its special budget to June 30,
associated with the control of communicable diseases 2023, which was not extended further upon expiration.
among government agencies, medical institutions, To address the expiration of the Act, to ensure the
healthcare workers, and the general public. It also continued processing of applications and payment of
formalizes the roles of healthcare workers in dealing epidemic prevention compensation after the expiration
with an epidemic. of the Special Act, and to protect the communicable
disease surveillance and early warning system as
Section 1 Regulations and Framework for
part of the national critical infrastructure, Articles 74-
Communicable Disease Control 1, 61-1, and 61-2 were added to the "Communicable
1. Laws and Regulations Governing Communicable Disease Control Act" and promulgated on June 21 and
Disease Prevention 28, 2023, respectively. Additionally, to meet the needs
The "Communicable Disease Control Act" and of epidemic prevention work, important regulatory
the "HIV Infection Control and Patient Rights Protection amendments made in 2024 are shown in Table 6-1.

Table 6-1 List of Communicable Disease Regulations Revised and Issued in 2023

Date of
Name of Regulation / Legal Order Objective of Revision
Amendment
Regulations Governing In response to changes in routine vaccine items and schedules
for young children, the appendix of Article 6 of these regulations
Immunization Procedure, Review March 27 has been amended, revising the vaccine items and schedules
of Children's Immunization Record, for elementary school students, preschoolers, children in nursery
and Catch-up Immunization centers, and infants in the attached table.
Regulations Governing Laboratory Paragraph 3 of Article 8, has been amended to allow medical
Testing for Communicable May 1 institutions using approved or specially approved in vitro
Diseases and Management of diagnostic reagents to be qualified testing institutions designated
Laboratory Testing by the central competent authority.
1. "Severe Special Infectious Pneumonia" has been reclassified
Categories of Communicable from a Category Ⅴ to a Category Ⅳ communicable disease,
Diseases and Preventive May 1 with corresponding adjustments made to prevention and
Measures for Category IV and V May 31 control measures.
Communicable Diseases 2. The reporting deadline for "Severe Special Infectious
Pneumonia" has been amended to 72 hours.
Paragraph 3 of Article 3, regarding the collection of funds for
Regulations Governing Collection
and Review of Vaccine Injury December Severe Special Infectious Pneumonia (COVID-19) vaccines and
Compensation Fund 29 the BCG vaccine, has been amended to align with the principles
of budget balance and risk sharing.
Source: Taiwan Centers for Disease Control
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