《TAIPEI TIMES》 BioNTech shots could arrive by Mid-Autumn Festival

By Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporter

The first batch of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine could arrive before the Mid-Autumn Festival, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung （陳時中） said yesterday.

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Chen, who heads the Central Epidemic Command Center （CECC）, was asked at a news conference in Taipei to confirm reports that 1.6 million to 2 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine would arrive in Taiwan before the holiday on Sept. 21.

Chen initially said that he would provide more information once a date was confirmed, but when asked about the matter again a few minutes later, he added that he would “not deny” the reports.

“The situation is optimistic,” he said, before reiterating that an announcement would be made once the shipment is confirmed.

Taiwan is expected to receive 15 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co （台積電）, the Hon Hai Precision Industry Co （鴻海精密）-affiliated YongLin Foundation and the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation （慈濟功德會） having each donated 5 million doses to the government.

On Wednesday, the nation administered 27,359 COVID-19 vaccine doses, CECC data showed.

As of Wednesday, 9,985,997 COVID-19 vaccine shots had been administered — 9,260,988 first doses and 725,009 second doses, the CECC said.

The first-dose vaccination rate in Taiwan was 39.46 percent, it added.

The nation has been administering two COVID-19 vaccine brands — developed by AstraZeneca and Moderna Inc — and is to begin offering a vaccine manufactured by local drugmaker Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp （高端疫苗） on Monday, with the brand already available as an option on the government’s COVID-19 vaccination registration and appointment system, 1922.gov.tw.

As of 5pm yesterday, 612,079 people on the Web site had selected the Medigen vaccine as a preferred option, the CECC said, adding that 587,000 people have booked appointments to receive the vaccine next week.

The first and second doses of the Medigen vaccine would be given to people 28 days apart, as instructed by the manufacturer, as there had been no studies supporting an extension of the interval, Chen said.

Extensions of the interval between the first and second doses had been made for other COVID-19 vaccine brands administered domestically because studies conducted abroad had supported such a policy, he said.

Chen added that the CECC would negotiate with the US to have the Medigen vaccine recognized there.

Additional reporting by CNA

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES