Taiwan will soon allow the general public to mix-and-match COVID-19 vaccines for the first time, starting as early as the first half of November, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Friday.
The new policy will enable an estimated 550,000 people who received an AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine jab at least 10 weeks earlier to get a Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT) shot as a second dose, said CECC spokesperson Chuang Jen-hsiang (???) at a press conference Friday.
Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (???) said there should be enough BNT vaccines available in November according to current estimates to allow for the mix-and-match option for that number of people.
More vaccines could also be available when factoring in leftover doses from people who fail to show up for their vaccine appointments, Chuang said, but the actual amount and availability of the shots will also depend on the size and timing of future vaccine shipments.
Currently in Taiwan, only medical workers and non-medical personnel working in medical facilities who received an AstraZeneca (AZ) COVID-19 vaccine jab more than 10 weeks earlier have been allowed to get a Moderna brand vaccine as their second shot.
To accommodate the new option, the online vaccination registration platform will be adjusted, Chen said, with details to be announced in the coming days.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel