TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Wednesday (July 20) said that it will expand its fourth COVID vaccine dose (second booster shot) to people aged 50 and over.

CECC head Victor Wang (王必勝) said previously mentioned high-risk groups, people aged 50 and over are now eligible for the fourth COVID vaccine dose. The condition is that the third dose must have been received at least five months ago.

However, if a person in this age group has been infected with COVID, they must wait at least three months after the diagnosis. For example, if a person was diagnosed with COVID five months after receiving their third COVID shot, they must wait three more months for a total of eight months before they can be given the fourth shot.

Wang said the main reason why the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) decided to begin offering the fourth dose to adults aged 50 and over was because this has become standard practice in the U.S. CECC Spokesperson Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) added that South Korea has also lowered the recommended minimum age for the fourth dose to 50.

On May 15, the CECC announced that people aged 65 and older, residents of long-term care facilities, medical workers, and individuals aged 18 and above who are immunocompromised would be eligible for the second COVID booster shot. On June 27, the CECC began expanding the scope of those eligible to workers at airports and other ports of entry, airline flight crews, people who come in contact with individuals in quarantine, and care facility employees,

As of Wednesday, 21.5% of people aged 65 and over had received the fourth COVID shot. Chuang reminded the public that until the end of July, people aged 65 and over who receive any of the COVID jabs will receive a NT$500 incentive payment (US$16).