TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said during an interpellation session on Monday (Oct. 25) that he estimates there will be a surplus of Taiwan’s domestically produced Medigen vaccine, and he did not rule out donating them to other countries.

According to Chen, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) signed a contract for 5 million doses of Medigen vaccines as well as an open contract for another 5 million doses. With 1.36 million doses now administered and 2.23 million doses still in stock, Chen told Legislator Kao Hung-an (高虹安) that the second 5-million-dose order will probably not take effect.

During an interpellation between Chen and Legislator Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷), Hung said Chen had mentioned before that there has been a drop in vaccination turnout since the local COVID-19 outbreak has been curbed in Taiwan and since the weather became colder. However, this means that even fewer people are getting Medigen vaccines.

Chen said that the 3.64 million currently unused doses of Medigen vaccine from the order expire in six months, and the MOHW has not ruled out the possibility of donating them to other countries.

In response to Hung’s skepticism about whether it would even be possible to donate the Medigen vaccines, since they have not received emergency use authorization (EUA) from most countries in the world, Chen said it is still hard to tell.

“Many countries are currently in talks with us about these things,” Chen said. However, he said he could not reveal which countries were involved.

The Medigen vaccine became a controversial topic when the MOHW issued an EUA, purchased it, and allowed its administration before it had gone through a third-phase clinical trial. With so many extra vaccines left over, the MOHW faces pressure about its decision regarding Medigen and is seeking to find ways to better make use of the doses.