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進入《TAIPEI TIMES》 CECC sees 60％ second-dose rate by year’s end
Workers prepare to transport about 1.08 million Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses upon their arrival at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Saturday. Photo: CNA
By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
Health authorities aim to achieve a second-dose vaccination rate of at least 60 percent by the end of the year, the Central Epidemic Command Center （CECC） said yesterday, as it called on local governments to compile lists of people aged 70 or older who are ready to receive a second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
On Monday, 58,759 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered, bringing the nation’s first-dose coverage to 49.75 percent, or 57.02 doses administered per 100 people, said Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung （陳時中）, who heads the CECC.
Asked what the estimated second-dose vaccine coverage in Taiwan would be by the end of the year, Chen said: “It will be very high, so everyone can just wait and see.”
Getting the second-dose rate to 60 percent would not be easy, but “we can definitely achieve it,” he said.
A batch of 1.08 million Moderna doses, which arrived in Taiwan on Friday, would be distributed to local governments on Tuesday next week, Chen said.
Local health departments would compile lists of people aged 70 or older who received a first dose of the Moderna vaccine on July 16 or earlier and arrange for them to get a second dose at a designated hospital or vaccination location, Chen said.
Eligible people include those who were born on or before Dec. 31, 1951, and Aborigines who were born on or before Dec. 31, 1961, he said.
“People might experience more side effects after receiving a second dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, including the Moderna vaccine,” Chen said.
“As the recipients are elderly people, we encourage them to avoid choosing vaccination locations that are too far away or when the temperature is high,” he said.
If a prospective recipient has underlying health conditions, they should get vaccinated when their condition is relatively stable,” he said, adding that they should consult a physician prior to vaccination.
The most common side effect after a second dose of the Moderna vaccine is pain or swelling at the injection site, while other reactions include fatigue, a headache, muscle aches, a rise in body temperature, chills, joint pain and nausea, Chen said, adding that they usually disappear in a few days.
Fever — or a temperature of 38oC or above — usually goes away within 48 hours, he added.
“People should increase their water intake and get sufficient rest after being vaccinated,” he said.
“Family members should monitor the condition of elderly people who get the shot, and seek medical attention if they have a fever for more than 48 hours or develop symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, such as difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, dizziness, a rapid heartbeat, redness or rashes,” he said.
Vaccine recipients should be observed for 15 minutes after receiving a jab, but people who have a history of acute allergic reactions to vaccines should wait at least 30 minutes, Chen said.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
