Taiwan will hold a second bidding round for the purchase of 5 million doses of flu vaccine after the first round failed because there were not enough bidders, an official said yesterday.
The first round flopped because there was only one bidder, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said.
REGULATIONS
Regulations state that the first bidding round must have at least three bidders to make it valid, but there is no such requirement for the second round.
CDC spokesman Lin Ting (林頂) said the CDC would announce the second round on Monday and it would be held next Friday.
CDC said it is difficult to find a pharmaceutical company to supply large amounts of flu vaccine at the moment because many countries are rushing to buy the drugs.
“We are facing an awkward situation now — a shortage of vaccines, including regular flu vaccines,” Lin said.
SHORTAGES
Lin said the CDC was concerned that vaccines for regular influenza would run out before the new bidder comes up with a safe bottom line of 5 million doses.
“Before regular influenza returns and hits us in the fall, we will need to have enough doses,” he said.
DOSES
Lin said the CDC hopes to acquire 5 million doses for regular flu and 10 million doses of vaccine for A(H1N1) influenza to prevent a large-scale outbreak of swine flu, which erupted in Mexico in April and quickly spread to other countries.
So far Taiwan has reported 72 cases of swine flu infection. Most of the patients had mild cases and have recovered.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS