Source::AP
TAIPEI,
Health care workers received the first shots in Taiwan’s COVID-19 vaccination drive Monday, beginning a campaign that won’t use supplies from China amid uneven distribution of the vaccines globally. Taiwan has on hand 117,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which it is distributing to healthcare workers across 57 hospitals. Taiwanese premier Su Tseng-chang launched the drive by receiving the first shot at National Taiwan University Hospital in the capital Taipei. “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 the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine after a few dozen people among the millions who’ve received the vaccine developed blood clots. The European Union’s drug regulatory agency concluded after a review it couldn’t rule out a direct link but the benefits of using the vaccine outweigh 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 COVAX.
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