《TAIPEI TIMES》 Medigen in next round of vaccinations

SUPPLY: After this vaccination round ends, there would reportedly be fewer than 500,000 doses of imported vaccines available, although more could arrive this month

By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter

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The Central Epidemic Command Center （CECC） plans to include COVID-19 vaccines by local drugmaker Medigen Vaccine Biologics in the next round of national vaccinations this month, it said yesterday.

The center also said it would use a double-track mechanism to assist people aged 65 or older to book an appointment for their second dose of the vaccine.

Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung （陳時中）, who heads the center, on Friday said that while the Moderna vaccine is available in the current round, which is the fifth round of vaccinations, the Medigen vaccine would be administered in the sixth round, starting near the end of the month.

About 556,000 recipients eligible for the fifth round were allowed to book appointments on the national online COVID-19 vaccination booking system from 10am on Thursday to 12pm yesterday, and would be vaccinated from Wednesday next week to Aug. 17.

After the fifth round ends, there would be fewer than 500,000 doses of imported COVID-19 vaccines available, the Chinese-language United Daily News reported on Friday.

It cited Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan （薛瑞元） as saying that the vaccine supply seems to be running short, but more vaccine doses could arrive this month or the next.

More doses should be arriving soon, but the center cannot guarantee that shipments would arrive on time, Chen said, adding that he is as concerned as everyone else about the nation’s vaccine supply.

As of Friday afternoon, more than 1 million people had selected the Medigen vaccine on the online booking system.

While people who have received a first dose of the AstraZeneca or Moderna vaccine are encouraged to use the online booking system to register for their second dose, Chen said that a double-track mechanism would be introduced to assist people aged 65 or older in booking an appointment.

People in this age category should have received their first dose through a different mechanism arranged by local governments in June and last month, but as all vaccination arrangements have been incorporated into the online booking system, concerns have been raised that older people might not know how to use it.

People aged 65 or older would be eligible to book an appointment using the system 10 to 12 weeks after their first dose, Chen said.

The CECC would also provide a list of eligible seniors, so that local governments could book appointments for them and inform them of the vaccination time and location, if they cannot do so on their own, he said.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES