TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Diplomatic ally Paraguay is the eighth country to grant emergency use authorization (EUA) to Taiwan’s Medigen COVID-19 vaccine, reports said Tuesday (Feb. 15).

The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said the other countries allowing the jabs to be used are New Zealand, Indonesia, Thailand, Estonia, Somaliland, and allies Palau and Belize, the Liberty Times reported.

There are 3 million Medigen doses available in Taiwan for local use or destined for other countries as donations, according to CECC chief Chen Shih-chung (陳時中). A total of 126,000 Medigen jabs formed part of the latest round of booster shots, with registration opening Wednesday (Feb. 16) and inoculations scheduled for next week.

As overseas testing of its vaccine has produced similar results to those in Taiwan, Medigen can look forward to more countries greenlighting its shots in the near future, Chen said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is testing Medigen jabs as part of its Phase 3 Solidarity Trial Vaccines program. The next step, in late March or early April, is likely to pave the way for further international distribution of the Taiwan-produced shots, Medigen said.