The Ministry of Health and Welfare has asked pharmaceutical companies to provide influenza vaccines to make up for a supply shortage that resulted from the recall of defective vaccines found over the past two months, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said yesterday.
A few cases of a discolored vaccines, as well as vaccines with suspended particles were detected in October and last month, after the government-funded flu vaccination began on Oct. 15.
The batches containing the defected vaccines were returned to the pharmaceutical companies for examination and investigation.
The incident resulted in the suspension of vaccinations at schools, and a few hospitals had to stop offering government-funded vaccinations.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislative caucus on Sunday called on Chen to resign to take political responsibility for the incident.
Asked about the shortage of flu vaccines, Chen told reporters that the Food and Drug Administration has one of the world’s strictest standards for examining imported vaccines, adding that about 700,000 vials of defective vaccines were recalled.
The ministry has asked local pharmaceutical companies to provide vaccines to replenish the supplies, he said.
However, there would still be a shortage of about 300,000 vials from the 6 million government-funded vaccines planned for this year, Chen added.
Asked about the KMT’s call for him to resign, Chen refused to give a direct answer, saying that he keeps a calm attitude and thinks that the public would want the ministry to protect vaccination safety, adding that it would continue to uphold the principle while keeping the information channels open and transparent.
Chen was also asked to comment on President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) remarks at a meeting in Chiayi on Sunday about launching cheaper cigarettes, which was criticized by politicians and anti-smoking groups.
Presidential Office spokesman Sidney Lin (林鶴明) on Monday said that Tsai gave the example when speaking about government policies sometimes failing to reflect public opinion, such as when tobacco tax was increased to support long-term care services, causing smokers to complain about increased cigarette prices.
Chen said smoking is harmful for health, and urged smokers to quit.
However, he said that if smokers find that hard to do, they should at least try to reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke, which would benefit their health and help them save money.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
RSS