The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) caucus yesterday called for better vaccine information and subsidies for lost work to help children and parents weather a worsening outbreak of COVID-19.
As the domestic case count leapt to 8,822 yesterday, the TPP caucus said there were “oversights” in government policy regarding children.
TPP caucus whip Chiu Chen-yuan (邱臣遠) called for transparency on vaccines, starting with information on the side effects of the Moderna vaccine in children.
Photo courtesy of the TPP
The Ministry of Health and Welfare should also publicize its plan to purchase Pfizer-BioNTech for children — including an expected timeline and amount — to help parents make an informed decision on which vaccine to choose, he added.
The caucus also questioned the government’s “3+4” isolation policy, which allows people to return to work on the fourth day if they test negative.
Under this scheme, parents of young children would have to return to work while their child remains at home, Chiu said.
If a child is under isolation as a close contact, but does not yet have an official notice to prove it, their parent cannot apply for a subsidy to supplement missed income, he said.
Schools should also be given subsidies to purchase all necessary equipment, especially rapid tests for unvaccinated students to take free of charge, he added.
Questioning the government’s caregiving guidelines for moderate or severe COVID-19 patients, which recommends the use of dexamethasone, TPP Legislator Tsai Pi-ru (蔡壁如) said there are no clinical studies proving its efficacy in children younger than 18.
On the other hand, Pfizer’s Paxlovid antiviral therapy has been recommended for patients older than 12, she said, adding that children are being overlooked in regard to medication as well as vaccines.
Children who have not tested positive need proper protection, while those who have need proper care, Tsai said, calling for better communication on what to do when classes are canceled or parents must take caregiving leave.
Parents are facing three main difficulties, National Alliance of Presidents of Parents’ Associations board member Huang Cheng-ming (黃正銘) said.
First are differences in the central and local governments’ school closure policies, which have been further complicated by the “3+4” scheme, leaving parents unsure which rules to follow, he said.
Second is vaccine information, he said.
Not knowing when the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine might become available, parents cannot make a decision on which type of vaccine to choose for their child, he said.
The last particularly affects parents working as teachers, who need guidance on what to do if caregiving duties conflict with work, he added.
Separately yesterday, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan (薛瑞元) said a deal on Taiwan’s planned purchase of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines, which would include child versions, was expected to be signed “this week,” although he did not elaborate on the details.
Taiwan “should be able to sign a deal this week,” Hsueh told a meeting of the legislature’s Culture and Education Committee.
He did not say how many of the vaccines would be the version for children, and when they were expected to arrive.
Asked about the low willingness of parents to have their children vaccinated, Hsueh said the ministry would try its best to provide sufficient information to parents so that they would not base their decision “on emotions.”
Additional reporting by CNA
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