《TAIPEI TIMES》 Diplomats’ vaccine shots rest on desire, local policy

PAID: Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Joanne Ou said that if insurance through their embassy did not cover shots for overseas officials, the ministry would pay

By Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporter

請繼續往下閱讀...

Whether overseas officials should be vaccinated depends on their preference and their host country’s regulations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs （MOFA） said yesterday, adding that vaccine costs could be covered by medical insurance or the government.

As of Monday, 35 officials stationed abroad had contracted COVID-19, ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou （歐江安） told a news briefing in Taipei yesterday.

While 24 had recovered, eight were asymptomatic and three had minor symptoms, and were in home isolation, Ou added.

Some overseas officials have said that they are waiting for their host countries to issue vaccination guidance, as many of them have begun vaccination programs, while Taiwan’s policy has yet to be finalized.

On Jan. 6, when asked whether overseas officials should pay to be vaccinated or wait for the government to arrange for them to receive a COVID-19 shot, the ministry told the Taipei Times that the Central Epidemic Command Center （CECC） was still deliberating.

Asked about the issue at a news briefing yesterday, the ministry said that the government would cover the cost.

If officials get vaccinated and must pay, the cost should be covered by the medical insurance that they have through their embassy, Ou said.

However, if the insurance at some embassies does not cover the cost, the foreign ministry would pay, she added.

The same policy applies to receiving COVID-19 testing or treatment in other countries, Ou said.

The ministry would provide diplomats in Taiwan with assistance based on the center’s policies, she said.

Thirty million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine are to be purchased, the center said on Dec. 30 last year, adding that the supply would cover nearly 65 percent of the population if each vaccinated person received a shot and a booster.

At the time, the center laid out those prioritized for vaccination: Medical workers would be vaccinated first, followed by quarantine workers, police and security officers, caregivers and social workers, military personnel, people aged 65 or older, people aged 19 to 64 with chronic medical conditions, people with a rare disease, people with a serious injury or disease, and adults aged 50 to 64.

The center had estimated that doses would begin to arrive by next month, but has not recently spoken on the issue.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES