TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Japan on Thursday (July 15) sent a third batch of nearly 1 million AstraZeneca (AZ) COVID-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan.
At 1:54 p.m., JAL Flight 809 arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport with a batch of 970,000 AZ doses onboard. With this latest shipment, Japan has now donated 3.34 million doses of the vaccine to Taiwan since June.
Japan Airlines plane carrying AstraZeneca shots arrives in Taipei on Thursday. (CNA photo)
Greeting the plane at the airport were Health Minister and CECC Head Chen Shih-chung (陳時中); Hospital and Social Welfare Administration Commission Head Wang Pi-sheng (王必勝); Centers for Disease Control Director-General Chou Chi-hao (周志浩); and Taoyuan International Airport Corp. President Jerry Dann (但昭璧), among other officials. Chen said that he was very happy to witness the arrival of the donation and that, "Taiwan is very grateful for Japan's enthusiasm and friendship," reported the Liberty Times.
Chen Shih-chung (center) and other officials thank Japan for its donation. (CNA photo)
Also on Thursday, at 3:40 p.m., China Airlines Flight 834 arrived from Thailand with AZ jabs Taiwan has purchased. Just 10 minutes later, China Airlines Cargo Flight 5556 arrived from Luxembourg, with 350,000 Moderna shots Taiwan has bought.
Japan previously shipped 1.24 million doses of the AZ vaccine to Taiwan on June 4 and 1.13 million doses on July 8. In addition, the U.S. on June 20 donated 2.5 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
AstraZeneca vaccine doses being unloaded from plane. (CNA photo)
Of the 10 million AZ vaccine doses Taiwan has purchased, 117,000 arrived on March 3, 620,000 arrived on July 7, and 550,000 arrived Thursday, bringing the total received thus far to 1.287 million AZ doses. Out of the 5.05 million doses of the Moderna vaccine Taiwan has on order, 150,000 were delivered on May 28, 240,000 came on June 18, 410,000 were delivered on June 30, and the fourth batch arrived on Thursday, raising the cumulative number of Moderna doses received to 1.15 million.
