As Taiwan expands the list of people eligible for vaccination against COVID-19, a string of high profile officials have got the jab to show the public how it’s done.
Don’t worry, this won’t hurt a bit… Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan rolls up his sleeve to get the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine early on Monday morning. It comes as authorities expand eligibility for vaccination.
Cheng says he got the jab to raise public confidence in the vaccine. He says he wants to show that it’s safe and effective.
Central Epidemic Command Center officials Chen Tsung-yen and Lo Yi-chun also got vaccinated on Monday. Lo says that the AstraZeneca jab is only half the volume of a flu vaccine dose. That means it is less painful. He says he feels perfectly fine after getting the shot. Lo suffers from diabetes, so he made sure to check his blood sugar beforehand.
Right now, Taiwan has over 300,000 vaccine doses. From Monday, groups two and three on the priority list can get vaccinated. That includes pandemic prevention officials, and people in high-risk professions, like pilots. That’s about 125,000 more people than before.
One pilot says he hopes authorities can ease quarantine requirements for people who have gotten the vaccine. He says a year of restricted travel and quarantine has had serious mental and physical effects. He hopes authorities can adjust the rules so vaccinated people can live more normal lives.
Meanwhile, with about 200,000 doses set to expire at the end of May, officials are considering letting people pay to get them. They say that could happen by late April.