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Vaccine boost for Taiwan with 410,000 more Moderna shots on the way
- Taipei not ruling out making vaccines for international firms
- Only 8 per cent of population has had at least one vaccination
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Another 410,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine are due to arrive in Taiwan, further boosting the island’s efforts to fight a cluster of local infections.
Deputy interior minister Chen Tsung-yen said on Tuesday that a flight carrying the latest batch of Moderna shots was expected on Wednesday.
Only around 8 per cent of Taiwan’s 23.5 million people have had at least one vaccine jab and the government has been under pressure to speed up deliveries of the millions of doses it has on order.
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“The flight with the 410,000 doses should arrive tomorrow afternoon or early evening if everything is as normal,” Chen said. The government had previously confirmed it would receive part of its direct order for 5.05 million Moderna doses on Wednesday, but had not directly said how many would be coming.
When asked if a government-run research centre was in talks with Moderna to make Covid-19 vaccines, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said the government “will not give up any opportunity” and was reviewing its vaccine manufacturing capacity for international companies.
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