Hospitals around Taiwan are now taking reservations for prospective travelers that want to pay out-of-pocket for a COVID vaccine. Health officials are providing 10,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to people who will be traveling for work, education, medical purposes or humanitarian reasons.
The cost will be capped at NT$600 (US$21). That price covers hospital fees, but the vaccination itself is free. Hospitals will begin administering to this category of people on April 21.
Vaccinations have already begun for other groups of people higher on the priority list, like medical workers and diplomats.
Applicants will not need to provide proof of their purpose of travel, but they will need to sign a document stating the purpose of traveling abroad. Officials say that the vaccine is not for people who are going on vacation.
A total of 31 hospitals around Taiwan will be administering vaccines to prospective travelers who want to pay for them. Each hospital has its own registration procedures. You can find more details (in Chinese) on the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) website: https://www.cdc.gov.tw/Category/MPage/K1bYmVyZqP9niRXEAQXewA