離開
進入《TAIPEI TIMES》 CECC to use vaccines before expiration
Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Philip Lo speaks at a news conference at the Central Epidemic Command Center in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA
LIMITED SHELF LIFE: Canada also received AstraZeneca vaccines earlier this month, but their expiration dates were earlier than Taiwan’s at April 2, a CECC official said
By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
The first batch of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines would be administered before their June 15 expiration date, the Central Epidemic Command Center （CECC） said yesterday.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung （陳時中）, who heads the center, on Friday evening announced that the first batch of 116,500 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine are ready to be administered tomorrow.
However, after a portion of the vaccines were distributed to 57 designated hospitals across the nation, local media reported on their June 15 expiration date, raising concerns about their limited shelf life.
Chen, while visiting Pingtung County, yesterday responded to questions about the date, saying that the center was certain the first batch would be administered before the expiration date.
Centers for Disease Control （CDC） Deputy Director-General Philip Lo （羅一鈞）, deputy head of the CECC’s medical response division, said that Taiwan had not been “mistreated” in receiving vaccines with a three-month shelf life, as Canada also received a batch of AstraZeneca vaccines on March 3, the same day as Taiwan, but their expiration date was April 2, while the Philippines received a batch on March 4, with an expiration date of May 21.
“The CECC will continue to monitor the vaccination situation after the rollout and make modifications accordingly,” Lo said. “Vaccines are precious resources, so the center will make sure they are all given to people who need it the most before the expiration date.”
The first priority group for vaccination includes two sub-groups of healthcare workers, which are eligible for the jab starting tomorrow, he said, adding that if there are more vaccines available by early or in the middle of next month, healthcare workers in the next priority sub-group might be able to receive the shot.
The center is also making arrangements for Chen or Premier Su Tseng-chang （蘇貞昌） to be among the first vaccinated to assuage public concerns over the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine after several European countries suspended its use over reports of people developing blood clots, Lo said.
“We are certain that the two government heads will take the lead in getting vaccinated,” he said.
While details are still being planned, Chen and Su would follow the same standard procedure for receiving the shot as healthcare workers, including being assessed by a physician beforehand and waiting for 30 minutes after vaccination to observe their conditions, he added.
Meanwhile, the center reported a new imported case of COVID-19 yesterday.
An Indonesian fisher arrived in Taiwan on March 5 and tested positive before ending centralized quarantine on Thursday, Lo said.
Among 11 people who arrived with the Indonesian man, one tested positive and was reported as a confirmed case on Friday, he said.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
