Skip to main content
Best News Website or Mobile Service
WAN-IFRA Digital Media Awards Worldwide 2022
Best News Website or Mobile Service
Digital Media Awards Worldwide 2022
Hamburger Menu

Advertisement

Advertisement

Asia

Taiwan sets goal to vaccinate 60% of population against COVID-19

Taiwan sets goal to vaccinate 60% of population against COVID-19

People wear protective masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while walking along a river path during sunset hour in Taipei on Aug 6, 2020. (File photo: Reuters/Ann Wang)

TAIPEI: Taiwan has set a goal to vaccinate 60 per cent of its population with a COVID-19 vaccine, or 15 million people, a health official said on Tuesday (Dec 15).

Taiwan has signed an agreement with COVAX to purchase a COVID-19 vaccine, but is also actively in talks with vaccine companies who have candidates in Phase 3 trials for a potential bilateral agreement as well, said Jing-Hui Yang, a deputy director at the Central Epidemic Command Center. 

COVAX, a global plan to distribute vaccines equally, has not yet started sending out shipments of vaccines.

READ: Singapore to unilaterally lift border restrictions to travellers from Taiwan from Dec 18

The island will prioritise frontline health workers and essential personnel to receive the vaccine first, Yang said. Later on, the immunisation campaign will target the elderly as well as those who have existing chronic illnesses.

Officials expect the vaccines to arrive early next year. Still, an immunisation campaign will take time, and will not be finished in just a month or two, Yang warned.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram​​​​​​

Source: AP

Advertisement

Also worth reading

Advertisement