Up till now, people in Taiwan have been able to choose from three vaccine brands: AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Medigen. But a plane arriving early Thursday morning means that’s all about to change.
A Boeing 747 approaches Taoyuan airport. And it’s carrying precious cargo: Taiwan’s first doses of the BioNTech COVID vaccine. Health Minister Chen Shih-chung was there to welcome the delivery. And beside him were representatives of the organizations that donated the vaccines: tech giants TSMC and Foxconn, and Buddhist humanitarian group the Tzu Chi Foundation.
Health Minister Chen Shih-chung says he represents Taiwan’s government in saying thank you, thank you, and thank you once again.
TSMC Charity Foundation Chair Sophie Chang says she’s grateful to BioNTech and Chinese pharmaceutical company Fosun Pharma. She says they have provided over 900,000 doses more than a month earlier than planned. That’s despite global shortages and ongoing campaigns in many richer countries to give people a third dose.
Tzu Chi Foundation executive director Yen Po-wen says he’s grateful for the government’s help in giving middle school and high school students the chance to get vaccinated.
In accordance with the agreement, there was no Chinese branding on the outside of the vaccines. That’s despite the fact that the delivery required the consent of Chinese distributor Fosun Pharma.
Right now, authorities plan to give the doses to students aged 12 to 17. Next in line are 18 to 22-year-olds registering for their first shot.
The vaccine is 94% effective at stopping COVID-19 after two doses. But doctors say that still leaves a 6% chance of a breakthrough infection. Pediatrician Huang Li-min says that means even if you’re vaccinated, there’s still the chance you can pass on the virus to others. That means there’s still a risk of community spread. He also says some breakthrough infections are serious enough to require a stay in hospital.
Without a vaccine that’s 100% effective, herd immunity is just that little bit further away.