Taiwan has begun online registration for vaccination appointments. Digital Minister Audrey Tang introduced the system on Tuesday.
The outlying islands of Kinmen, Matsu and Penghu have begun vaccinating people in the 9th and 10th priority groups so they will be the first to officially use the registration system. The registration system was launched on Tuesday while the appointments will begin on the outlying islands on Friday.
The 9th priority group includes adults between 18 - 64 who have a higher risk of getting a serious illness from COVID-19, and with rare or serious illnesses or injuries. The 10th priority group includes all those aged 50 to 64 years old.
Eligible people can now go to 1922.gov.tw to register though vaccination dates will only be scheduled when each person is eligible. The government will arrange the vaccination dates according to available vaccines and the age and priority ranking of applicants.
To register, people must enter their ID number/ARC number as well as mobile phone number, district, and the vaccine brands one is willing to receive. Taiwan currently offers the option to check AstraZeneca, Moderna or both on the system.
Once an appointment has been scheduled, the system will send text messages to inform people of their appointments. People can also register by bringing their national health cards to drug stores, convenience stores, and health bureaus that are a part of the national mask registration system.
Minister Tang said the system will arrange vaccination appointments weekly, beginning every Wednesday for appointments on the following few days. Tang said if one is late for the appointment, one can still get vaccinated at another time that day. But if the person doesn’t show up that day, they will need to go through the registration process again.