AIDC at Center of New Vaccine Scandal 爆漢翔逾千人已打完疫苗 員工身分惹議

Another vaccination scandal has erupted at aviation product manufacturer Aerospace Industrial Development Corp, where over 1,000 employees have received shots. The Ministry of National Defense said the inoculation was treated as a special case and the 1,000 doses used have no effect on domestic vaccine supply.

In March, Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. unveiled its new T-5 Brave Eagle trainer. However, the maker of military and civil aviation products now finds itself embroiled in a vaccine controversy. According to reports, over 1,000 AIDC employees skipped the priority queue and got their COVID-19 vaccines.

Shouldn't medical workers get priority? AIDC could've waited.

I guess you can make an argument that they are working for the nation. If someone in the company got infected and could no longer contribute to the nation, it would be some kind of loss.

Given Taiwan's severe vaccine shortage, the Central Epidemic Command Center has a vaccine priority list in place. Currently, vaccines are only available for six types of workers and people over 75. Military personnel have not been included yet. 

This was a special case that was not restricted by department. Our projects are related to national security. We sent in an application and the Ministry of National Defense approved it.

According to AIDC, the company received special approval from the Ministry of National Defense because its work involves national security. The ministry, meanwhile, says the approval was granted by the Central Epidemic Command Center. It also says the vaccine allocation will not affect domestic supply.

(The Ministry of National Defense) has a special military vaccine allocation for important people. The application was approved by the Central Epidemic Control Center. These vaccines are included in the 45,000 allocated (to the ministry). 

The ministry says the AIDC personnel that were vaccinated are all "important special case" workers. AIDC, meanwhile, says the vaccination list was approved by the government and denies it ordered employees to keep the vaccinations secret.

今年3月，勇鷹高教機對外亮相，漢翔公司董事長胡開宏也宣示國機國造，進入新的階段。但現在傳出漢翔公司在6月18號，已經替內部1000多名員工施打疫苗，引發議論，民眾看法不同。

民眾表示：「第一個，應該先打醫護人員。漢翔，應該可以比較晚打一點吧！」

民眾表示：「畢竟他們也是為國家出力，如果他們裡面，有人確診了，沒辦法對國家做出貢獻，也是 一種損失。」

國內疫情雖稍見趨緩，但現在疫苗仍短缺，根據中央流行疫情指揮中心規定，疫苗施打對象，是1到6類人員、以及75歲以上老人，而第7類的軍人或軍事機關相關人員，並不在這次施打範圍內。

漢翔航空總經理 馬萬鈞表示：「我們是用專案，沒有分部門，你是做這個案子，這個案子跟國防安全有關係，我們報上去，國防部核定了，在核定名單裡頭，才打。」

馬萬鈞表示，因為漢翔參與重要國防專案，攸關國家安全和進度，因此為關鍵設施操作人員，向國防部專案申請，由漢翔提報名單、國防部核定。國防部則表示，有取得中央流行疫情指揮中心同意，不會影響目前疫苗配額。

國防部發言人 史順文表示：「（國防部對)執行專案重要人員，納入國軍專案的疫苗，報請中央流行疫情指揮中心，同意撥發專案疫苗施打。這些疫苗，都包含在這次所撥發(給國防部)45000劑裡面。」

國防部表示，漢翔施打對象，都是執行重要專案的人員，數量也納進國軍專案疫苗。漢翔也強調名單都有經過審核，在內部是公開訊息，否認對員工下封口令。