Taiwan starts Covid-19 vaccinations as premier receives AstraZeneca shot

Name: Thai leader cancels his vaccination at last minute as nation delays AstraZeneca roll-out
Uploaded: 2021-03-22T06:28:26.000Z
Duration: 3 min 34 s
Description: Thai leader cancels his vaccination at last minute as nation delays AstraZeneca roll-out

Island to prioritise health workers for its first delivery of about 120,000 doses after Premier Su Tseng-chang takes jab

Taiwanese authorities have signed contracts to secure almost 20 million doses in total

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Premier Su Tseng-chang receives his Covid-19 vaccine at the National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei. Photo: AFP

Associated Press

Published: 2:28pm, 22 Mar 2021Updated: 2:28pm, 22 Mar 2021

Health care workers received the first shots in Taiwan’s Covid-19 vaccination drive on Monday, beginning a campaign that will not use supplies from mainland China, amid uneven distribution of vaccines globally.

Taiwan has 117,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which it is distributing to health care workers across 57 hospitals.

Taiwanese Premier Su Tseng-chang launched the drive by receiving the first shot at National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei.

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Thai leader cancels his vaccination at last minute as nation delays AstraZeneca roll-out

“After 30 minutes of rest, there are no signs of any discomfort,” he said. The rest period is for monitoring recipients for any adverse reactions.

Last week, more than a dozen nations suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine after a few dozen people among the millions who have received it developed blood clots. The European Union’s drug regulatory agency concluded after a review that it could not rule out a direct link but that the benefits of using the vaccine outweighed the possible risks.

Taiwan has signed contracts securing 10 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, 5.05 million doses of the Moderna vaccine and 4.76 million doses of vaccines through the Covax Facility, co-led by the World Health Organization.

The self-ruled island, which has a population of 23.6 million, is planning to administer its full initial supply to 117,000 individuals to ensure the broadest possible protection.