Taiwan has begun the rollout of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine targeting the XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant. The rollout will happen in three phases beginning with over-65’s able to receive the vaccine starting Tuesday. It will then be available to medical staff on October 2 and the general public on October 9.
CDC Deputy Director General Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) says it’s possible that the XBB.1.5 vaccine could be available to the general public even sooner than planned. She says the CDC has purchased six million doses of XBB.1.5 vaccine. Two million doses have already arrived, with an additional two million doses to be delivered at the end of this month and in December.
The XBB variant continues to be the most prominent COVID-19 strain in Taiwan and the Health Ministry’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended that the entire population be vaccinated with one dose of Moderna XBB.1.5 between now and September 2024. Local governments will arrange XBB.1.5 vaccination appointments and people will be able to receive other vaccines including flu or pneumococcal vaccines at the same time.