The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported the nation’s first case of a person developing facial palsy after receiving an AstraZeneca jab against COVID-19 on Wednesday.
It was not a self-paid vaccine and the clinic where the man received the shot is closely following the case, said Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is the CECC spokesman.
Citing insurance data, Chuang said that the rate of facial palsy occurring in individuals aged 18 to 49 was 55.31 per 100,000 per year.
Photo: Yang Yuan-ting, Taipei Times
People might experience facial palsy for reasons other than vaccinations, Chuang said.
Preliminary information obtained by the CECC showed that there have been similar side effects in the UK following vaccination, whether it was an AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech jab, Chuang said.
Since Taiwan started its vaccination program on March 22, a total of 36,731 doses had been administered, with 219 reports of adverse events, but only two have filed for compensation.
Only 20 incidents are considered to be severe adverse effects, the CECC said.
As the patients who have filed for compensation are still in hospital, the CECC is waiting for the latest report on their status, Chuang said.
The CECC estimates that the review process for compensation would be arduous and could take up to six months, as COVID-19 vaccines are relatively new and most of the research relies on foreign documentation, he said.
People can contact their local health agency to ask about compensatory measures if they think that their physical discomfort is caused by the inoculation, he said.
All individuals are eligible to file for compensation, whether the jab was paid for out of pocket or by the government, so long as the vaccine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration, he said.
Once the review process is completed, the Ministry of Health and Welfare would issue an official notice and, if the application is approved, the local health agency would dispense the funds, he said.
If the application is rejected, people can mail an appeal to the ministry within 30 days upon receipt of the official notice, he said.
The CECC also reported four new confirmed cases of COVID-19 — two from the Philippines and one each from Indonesia and Kazakhstan.
As of yesterday, Taiwan had recorded 1,086 COVID-19 cases, including 11 deaths.
Separately, Academia Sinica President James Liao (廖俊智) told a meeting of the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee that he was willing to receive a shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine and that he was waiting for a notice from the health ministry.
Liao was at the meeting to report on the nation’s top research institute, when he asked by a legislator whether he was willing to get inoculated.
Side effects or adverse reactions are likely whether one receives a vaccine shot or takes medication, he said, adding that after assessing the risks, he is willing to be inoculated against COVID-19.
Later yesterday, Academia Sinica issued a notice saying that Liao would receive his vaccine shot at the Taipei City Hospital’s branch in Nangang District (南港) today.
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