The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) is to convene a meeting on Wednesday to specify guidelines for out-of-pocket antibody testing, following controversy over an Internet celebrity receiving a test even though it was unavailable for general purchase.
Two weeks after receiving his first dose of Medigen Vaccine Biologics Co’s COVID-19 vaccine, Internet celebrity Liu Yu (劉宇) on Sept. 7 received an antibody test at Taipei’s Dianthus MFM Clinic for NT$1,000, he said on Facebook.
He shared his results the day after, saying that his immunoglobulin G (IgG) level of 35.4 arbitrary units per milliliter (AU/ml) showed that he “developed antibodies, but the value is on the low side.”
However, the CECC had not yet made antibody tests available for purchase, eliciting calls to change the policy.
Some have also suggested that antibody test results could help the public decide whether to receive a third vaccine dose.
At the moment, 12 clinics are certified to administer publicly funded antibody tests, but out-of-pocket testing is not yet permitted. If a medical institution wishes to offer paid tests, it is required to first apply with its local health bureau.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the CECC, said on Saturday that it would be difficult to use self-paid antibody testing to determine the advisability of receiving a third vaccine dose.
Guidelines for administering third doses would be decided based on the center’s studies, as well as other countries’ experiences and expert advice, he added.
As for whether to allow out-of-pocket antibody testing, Chen said the center would not object to eligible recipients receiving the test, but the law and medical procedures must be followed.
The CECC is to convene a meeting of its medical response division on Wednesday to prepare guidelines, he added.
The guidelines to be discussed include standards for fees and testing methods, said Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞), deputy chief of the CECC’s medical response division.
Doctors would also be required to explain the results, whether they indicate an infection or whether the case should be reported, Lo added.
Chen also responded to Dianthus MFM Clinic’s operating manager, Lin Tzu-hung (林思宏), who on Saturday said the clinic never received feedback on its antibody testing plan.
The clinic on June 9 reported its intention to administer antibody tests with the Taipei City Government, which said that the CDC had yet to establish guidelines on the matter, Lin said.
Chen said that according to a long-standing provision of the Medical Act (醫療法), it is up to local governments to clarify implementation.
Taipei Department of Health Commissioner Huang Shier-chieg (黃世傑) on Saturday confirmed receiving the clinic’s statement, but said that administering antibody tests was not permitted at the time, as there were no guidelines.
Taipei Veterans General Hospital had applied to administer out-of-pocket tests, but the central government on Sept. 8 denied its request, saying that designated healthcare providers may only give antibody tests to airline crews, but not the general public, Huang said.
Dianthus MFM Clinic never applied and was never approved to conduct antibody testing, he said, adding that healthcare providers cannot offer tests if they have not been approved, much less collect payment.
The clinic would be fined for collecting payment without filing an application to conduct tests, he said.
However, people have the right to access information about their own bodies, Huang added, urging the CECC to set up guidelines as soon as possible.
As for how to interpret antibody test results, Lo said that different tests produce slightly different results, often used to determine when someone became infected.
For example, an IgG level above 50AU/ml might indicate a positive case and below that level a negative result, he said.
However, the generation of antibodies is a continuous process and its protective ability changes greatly between vaccine doses, Lo added.
“Today it might be 20, tomorrow 30 and it might slowly increase from there,” he said, adding that it is not meaningful to look at one isolated result.
IgG is different from the neutralizing antibodies produced after a vaccine, he added.
Eight restaurants in Taiwan yesterday secured a one-star rating from the Michelin Guide Taiwan for the first time, while three one-star restaurants from last year’s edition were promoted to two stars. Forty-three restaurants were awarded one star this year, including 34 in Taipei, five in Taichung and four in Kaohsiung. Hosu (好嶼), Chuan Ya (川雅), Sushi Kajin (鮨嘉仁), aMaze (心宴), La Vie by Thomas Buhner, Yuan Yi (元一) and Frassi in Taipei and Front House (方蒔) in Kaohsiung received a one-star rating for the first time. Hosu is known for innovative Taiwanese dishes, while Chuan Ya serves Sichuan cuisine and aMaze specializes
STATS: Taiwan’s average life expectancy of 80.77 years was lower than that of Japan, Singapore and South Korea, but higher than in China, Malaysia and Indonesia Taiwan’s average life expectancy last year increased to 80.77 years, but was still not back to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic peak of 81.32 years in 2020, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. The average life expectancy last year increased the 0.54 years from 2023, the ministry said in a statement. For men and women, the average life expectancy last year was 77.42 years and 84.30 years respectively, up 0.48 years and 0.56 years from the previous year. Taiwan’s average life expectancy peaked at 81.32 years in 2020, as the nation was relatively unaffected by the pandemic that year. The metric
Taitung County is to launch charter flights to Malaysia at the end of this year, after setting up flights to Vietnam and Thailand, the Taitung County Government said yesterday. The new charter flight services, provided by low-cost carrier Batik Air Malaysia, would be part of five-day tour packages for visits to Taitung County or Malaysia. The Batik Air charter flight, with about 200 seats, would take Malaysian tourists to Taitung on Dec. 30 and then at 12:35pm return to Kuala Lumpur with Taiwanese tourists. Another charter flight would bring the Taiwanese home on Jan. 3 next year, arriving at 5:30pm, before taking the
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC) plans to ease strained capacity during peak hours by introducing new fare rules restricting passengers traveling without reserved seats in 2026, company Chairman Shih Che (史哲) said Wednesday. THSRC needs to tackle its capacity issue because there have been several occasions where passengers holding tickets with reserved seats did not make it onto their train in stations packed with individuals traveling without a reserved seat, Shih told reporters in a joint interview in Taipei. Non-reserved seats allow travelers maximum flexibility, but it has led to issues relating to quality of service and safety concerns, especially during
RSS