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.
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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.