TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — With 8,888 people turning up at Taipei Railway Station for a COVID-19 shot over a four-day period, other stations have also shown interest in offering vaccinations, reports said Thursday (Dec. 9).
The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced last week it is hoping supermarkets, department stores, and railway stations can join the campaign to increase vaccinations in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday in late January and early February.
Stations in Kaohsiung, Tainan, and Taoyuan are looking at the possibility of joining in and setting up vaccination centers for commuters, while Taichung is looking for another site, as it has ruled its station unsuitable, CNA reported.
First-dose coverage for all of Taiwan reached 78.39% Wednesday (Dec. 8), with second-dose coverage at 62.85% and 2,767 people having received a third shot. Only Moderna doses were available at Taipei Railway Station.
One of the reasons for launching the campaign was that vaccine doses were about to reach their expiration date, a CECC spokesman said. In order to draw the public, NT$100 (US$3.60) vouchers and small presents were handed out to those showing up for a COVID jab at Taipei Railway Station.