CORONAVIRUS/Taiwan begins rollout of Pfizer-BNT vaccines for young children

Taipei, Aug. 28 (CNA) The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said on Sunday that 8,687 children between the ages of 6 months and 4 years old received a first dose of the Pfizer-BNT COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday.

Taiwan took delivery of 1,276,800 children's doses of the Pfizer-BNT on Aug. 19, and began a nationwide rollout on Saturday.

Young children planning to get vaccinated can now choose between Pfizer-BNT and the two-dose Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, the CECC said.

The CECC said that a minimum interval of 21 days is required between the first and second doses, adding recipients will have to wait at least another eight weeks before getting a third shot.

According to the CECC, the Pfizer-BNT vaccine for children aged between 6 months and 4 years old will be administered in three 0.2 milliliter doses.

Saturday also saw roughly 5,000 children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years receive a dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, which became available in Taiwan on July 21.

According to CECC data, 21.6 percent of young children in Taiwan have received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 1.4 percent have received two.