A women’s rights group and a legislator urged the government to establish an official reporting mechanism for suspected adverse reactions to the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, as government-funded vaccinations are to begin soon.
The Health Promotion Administration in February announced that government-funded HPV vaccinations would be given to seventh-grade girls from November, and that an estimated 100,000 students would be vaccinated each year.
HPV is mainly transmitted through sexual contact and the vaccine protects against several types of HPV, including two high-risk strains that cause nearly 70 percent of cervical cancers and precancerous cervical lesions, the administration said.
In June, two Control Yuan members launched an investigation into the policy, saying that it seemed to lack enough risk evaluations and supporting measures and that a verification mechanism was needed to test the vaccine’s effectiveness.
Taiwan Women’s Link chairwoman Huang Sue-ying (黃淑英) and Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Shu-fen (林淑芬) on Friday said the government should establish a reporting mechanism to handle cases of suspected adverse reactions to the vaccine.
They presented the case of a woman in her late 30s surnamed Chen who said that she suffered serious adverse reactions when she was vaccinated at the recommendation of her doctor after giving birth to her second child in February.
Chen said she experienced numbness, chest pain, weakness on one side of her body and visual impairment, adding that she was diagnosed with a central nervous system disorder called neuromyelitis optica, which needs long-term therapy.
About 800,000 doses of the HPV vaccine were administered in Taiwan over the past decade, and 167 suspected adverse reactions were reported, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) official Chen Ko-hsin (陳可欣) said, but added that this was the first reported case of neuromyelitis optica.
“Pharmaceutical companies are required to report to the FDA all suspected adverse reactions in the first five years after a new drug is launched on the market,” she said.
Although most vaccines are considered safe, the government must still establish a reporting mechanism to handle cases of adverse reactions, Lin said.
The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Wanda-Zhonghe Line is 81.7 percent complete, with public opening targeted for the end of 2027, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said today. Surrounding roads are to be open to the public by the end of next year, Hou said during an inspection of construction progress. The 9.5km line, featuring nine underground stations and one depot, is expected to connect Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station to Chukuang Station in New Taipei City’s Jhonghe District (中和). All 18 tunnels for the line are complete, while the main structures of the stations and depot are mostly finished, he
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
Taipei is to implement widespread road closures around Taipei 101 on Friday to make way for large crowds during the Double Ten National Day celebration, the Taipei Department of Transportation said. A four-minute fireworks display is to be launched from the skyscraper, along with a performance by 500 drones flying in formation above the nearby Nanshan A21 site, starting at 10pm. Vehicle restrictions would occur in phases, they said. From 5pm to 9pm, inner lanes of Songshou Road between Taipei City Hall and Taipei 101 are to be closed, with only the outer lanes remaining open. Between 9pm and 9:40pm, the section is
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday hosted a reception to celebrate Double Ten National Day. Conservative Canadian lawmaker Marc Dalton called Taiwan a “beacon of courage and resilience in the face of rising authoritarianism,” according to a post on the Taiwan in Vancouver Facebook page. Also in attendance were fellow conservative caucus members Tako Van Popta and Chak Au, who said that Taiwan plays an “indispensable role” in ensuring global peace, prosperity and stability due to its strategic position in the Indo-Pacific region, it said. Canadian lawmaker Michael Cooper also recorded a message wishing Taiwan a
RSS