People aged 18 or older who are planning to travel abroad for work would from today be eligible to receive a second booster COVID-19 vaccine shot, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday.
Those who wish to get vaccinated should bring their National Health Insurance card, vaccination record card, flight confirmation, and either an invitation from an overseas organization, a permit issued by a government authority or an approval letter from their workplace to the vaccination site, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝), who heads the CECC, told the center’s daily news conference.
The expansion applies to those traveling abroad for work, such as for foreign affairs, government, or business purposes, Wang said.
Photo courtesy of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport via CNA
The CECC is considering expanding eligibility to those planning to study abroad, Wang said.
The minimum interval between the first and second booster is 150 days, Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), the CECC’s spokesman, told the Central News Agency.
People should receive the second booster at least two weeks before their departure date, he said.
Second boosters have previously been available to people aged 65 or older, residents of long-term care facilities, medical workers, immunocompromised people, airline crew members, care facility employees, those working at airports and other ports of entry, and people whose job requires them to be in contact with people under quarantine.
The CECC on Wednesday announced that people aged 50 to 64 would from today also be eligible to receive a second booster shot.
The CECC said it has prepared a map showing hospitals and clinics that offer second booster doses.
Those interested could also contact their district health centers for more information, it said.
To date, 91.5 percent of Taiwan’s population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, 85.6 percent have received at least two doses, and 71 percent have received a booster dose.
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