CORONAVIRUS/Taiwan likely to face delay in EU vaccine delivery: health minister

Taipei, Jan. 30 (CNA) Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said Saturday that Taiwan could face delays in the delivery of a COVID-19 vaccine from British-Swedish vaccine developer AstraZeneca, after the European Union (EU) introduced tighter rules on vaccine exports a day earlier.
Chen, who also heads the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), made the comment after new rules, set to be introduced from Jan. 30 to March 31, stipulate the export of COVID-19 vaccines produced in the bloc have to be approved by the EU authorities.
At a press conference in Taipei, Chen said a batch of vaccine doses from AstraZeneca was scheduled to be delivered soon, but that could now be subject to change.
Related information on the delivery will be made public once the CECC familiarizes itself with recent developments, the minister said.
Chen said Taiwan has also been in touch with COVAX, an initiative under the World Health Organization to ensure access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries, over the possible delay, but a reply has not yet been received.
However, AstraZeneca has been in touch recently, the CECC head said, without further elaborating.
When asked if the CECC would considers trading locally produced semiconductor chips for COVID-19 vaccines from other countries, Chen said he would bring up the idea when in international negotiations, as it has backing from both governing and opposition parties in Taiwan.
The minister also addressed the possibility of procuring COVID-19 vaccines made in China, saying the CECC has not chosen Chinese vaccines in the fight against the coronavirus because there is insufficient information on their efficacy.
On Dec. 30, 2020, the CECC said it had been in talks with COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers with the aim of procuring approximately 20 million doses, including 4.76 million doses through COVAX, 10 million from AstraZeneca and some from another vaccine developer.
The vaccines were expected to be delivered as early as March 2021, the center said at that time.
Explaining the uncertainty regarding the delivery, Chen said vaccine manufacturers produce their products in different countries, and are at different stages of vaccine development, so the situation is a little "chaotic."
- Swedish TV program profiles Taiwan's COVID-19 responseA Swedish television program which covers international affairs aired a new episode Tuesday examining Taiwan's successful response to the COVID-19 pandemic.02/24/2021 08:30 PM
- Taiwan extends mask mandate at large gatheringsPeople who attend large gatherings in Taiwan will continue to be required to wear masks and forbidden from eating or drinking anything other than water, the Central Epidemic ...02/24/2021 06:46 PM
- Taiwan records four new imported cases of COVID-19Taiwan reported four new imported cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, three from the United States and one from Malaysia, bringing the total number to 946 since the epidemic began, ...02/24/2021 06:15 PM
- Society
Taiwan hikes fines for bringing pork products from Malaysia over ASF fears
02/24/2021 11:05 PM - Business
Taiwan's January export orders set monthly high, topping US$52 billion
02/24/2021 11:01 PM - Cross-Strait
Flowery rhetoric dominates Taiwan-China exchange on cross-strait ties
02/24/2021 10:59 PM - Business
Hon Hai teams up with U.S. firm Fisker to develop electric vehicles
02/24/2021 08:48 PM - Politics
Swedish TV program profiles Taiwan's COVID-19 response
02/24/2021 08:30 PM