People who have received only one dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine can register today in the online national vaccination booking system to receive Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech as their second dose, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday.
The system would accept bookings for the mix-and-match approach from 10am to 4pm today, said Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is the CECC’s spokesman.
Only those aged 18 or older with one dose of AstraZeneca are eligible, he added.
Photo: Tsai Wen-chu, Taipei Times
Online, people could choose Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech as their preferred second dose, or select both, indicating their order of preference, Chuang said.
Those preferring to receive AstraZeneca as their second dose would not need to make any changes in the system, he said.
The system would be down temporarily from 5pm yesterday to 10am today, he added.
CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞), deputy head of the CECC’s medical response division, provided preliminary findings of a clinical trial on the mix-and-match approach conducted at National Taiwan University Hospital.
Those who received AstraZeneca and Moderna showed a stronger immune response than those with two doses of AstraZeneca, but about the same as those with two doses of Moderna, he said.
Those who received AstraZeneca and Moderna with an eight-week interval showed a slightly stronger immune response than a group that received the same combination with an interval of four weeks, he said.
Those who received AstraZeneca and Moderna did report having more side effects after the second dose, compared with those who received two doses of AstraZeneca, Lo said.
As batches of the three brands have recently arrived — providing a stable supply — the center has adjust the recommended interval for them, Chuang said.
It recommends eight weeks for AstraZeneca, and four weeks for Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, Chuang said.
Those eligible can make arrangements in the online system or book directly with healthcare facilities designated by local health departments, Chuang added.
“Many countries now require arrivals to be ‘fully vaccinated,’ so we encourage those planning to travel abroad, as well as young people, to get vaccinated,” he said.
On Tuesday, 216,664 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered, bringing the nation’s first-dose vaccination rate to 76.58 percent and the full vaccination rate to 43.69 percent, he said.
Asked about booster shots, Chuang said that by Jan. 31, only about 263,000 people in Taiwan would have had their second dose for more than six months.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is to hold a meeting on the need for a booster shot, he said, adding that the committee would consider vaccine supply, people’s willingness, research studies and the experience of countries offering booster shots, among other factors.
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
CHINA POLICY: At the seventh US-EU Dialogue on China, the two sides issued strong support for Taiwan and condemned China’s actions in the South China Sea The US and EU issued a joint statement on Wednesday supporting Taiwan’s international participation, notably omitting the “one China” policy in a departure from previous similar statements, following high-level talks on China and the Indo-Pacific region. The statement also urged China to show restraint in the Taiwan Strait. US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and European External Action Service Secretary-General Stefano Sannino cochaired the seventh US-EU Dialogue on China and the sixth US-EU Indo-Pacific Consultations from Monday to Tuesday. Since the Indo-Pacific consultations were launched in 2021, references to the “one China” policy have appeared in every statement apart from the
More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years. The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meaning of UN Resolution 2758. Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taiwan has since been excluded from