Starting tomorrow, elderly people and people at high risk of developing severe COVID-19 would be eligible for a second booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday.
Eligible recipients must have had their booster shot at least five months earlier, the center said.
The move aims to reduce the risk of moderate or severe COVID-19 among a certain group of people, said Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center.
Photo: CNA
Eligibility covers people aged 65 or older, residents of long-term care centers and people aged 18 or older who are immunocompromised, but have a stable health condition, he said.
Eligible immunocompromised people include those who have received immunosuppressive drugs for cancer treatment in the past year, organ or stem cell transplant recipients, people with moderate or severe congenital immune deficiencies and patients on dialysis, the CECC said.
They also include HIV-positive people, people who are taking immunosuppressive drugs, those who have received chemotherapy or radiation therapy in the past six months, and people with other conditions who doctors consider immunodeficient or immunocompromised and eligible for a booster shot, it said.
Eligible recipients can choose from a half-dose of the Moderna vaccine, a full dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, a full dose of the Medigen vaccine or a full dose of the Novavax vaccine — which has yet to be approved — for their booster shot, regardless of the brand of the doses they previously received, Chen said.
As of Friday, the nation’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage rates had reached 85.5 percent for a first dose, 80.6 percent for a second dose and 62.3 percent for a first booster dose, he said.
The center continues to encourage elderly people and people at high risk of severe illness to get fully vaccinated as soon as possible, he added.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure. The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency. Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft. He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said. On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white
RSS