TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan expanded its use of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to include all hospital staff Saturday (June 12), but unless there are major complications the second shot should not be an AstraZeneca vaccine, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said.
The country has purchased 5.05 million doses of the Moderna vaccine, with the first batch of 150,000 shots arriving on May 28. During the first phase, 70,000 Moderna jabs were distributed to frontline medical staff. From Saturday, all hospital, clinic and quarantine center employees, including those in non-medical roles, can be inoculated with the vaccine, CNA reported.
At the Far Eastern Memorial Hospital in Taipei City, lines formed with 500 people hoping to be vaccinated with Moderna, reports said. Everyone was asked to produce the necessary licenses to show they belonged to the target group.
The CECC cautioned that an initial Moderna shot should not be followed by an AstraZeneca vaccine, unless the patient had a serious allergic reaction or other negative side effects. Overseas experience has shown that heart inflammation is possible in a small minority of youths after getting a Moderna jab.
The CECC said that individuals should immediately contact a doctor if they feel chest aches or heart problems after receiving a Moderna shot. However, it counseled against using shots from two different brands, as more problems have been detected when different vaccines are used for shots.