Loophole in NHI Exploited for A Few to Be Fully-vaccinated 部分老人鑽漏洞 搶先自行「疫苗混打」

Taiwan has yet to approve mixed doses of COVID-19 vaccines, but people are finding a way. Five seniors, who had gotten AZ as their first dose, got Moderna for their second at a mass vaccination station in Taichung, which has been described as "irrational" by the CECC. It says it will take action to close the loophole.

There have been reports of seniors getting mixed doses of COVID-19 vaccines in Kaohsiung and Taichung. All of them got AZ for their first dose and Moderna for their second.

Tang Tsao-ying, Disease Control Division, Health Bureau, Taichung City:”We have gotten reports of five cases of mixed-dose vaccinations. One of the five has a mild fever. The others are feeling fine.”

Lin Ying-jan, Chair, Primary Care Association:”Mass vaccination stations could fall prey to public trickery because they can't access vaccination records.”

One doctor says mass vaccination sites aren't equipped with computers and therefore don't have access to national health insurance data. Therefore, anyone that removes the vaccination sticker from their NHI card or does not bring their vaccination certificate to a vaccination site can get away with claiming they haven't gotten their first shot yet. 

Hospitals and clinics, however, should be able to access patients' vaccination records with their NHI cards.

Voice of Chuang Jen-hsiang, Spokesperson, Central Epidemic Command Center:”Clinics can access medical records in the cloud. Vaccination stations, however, can only look up information on the NHI VPN.”

The Central Epidemic Command Center says it forbids mixed doses and people that choose to get mixed doses are acting "irrationally." 

The Taichung City Health Bureau, meanwhile, says it is in the process of purchasing card readers and other equipment for its five mass vaccination sites so that medical personnel will be able to access NHI data and medical records.

繼高雄市日前發生70多歲老先生，三週內、先後接種AZ和莫德納疫苗後，台中市也傳出有5位長者，原本第一劑打的是AZ疫苗，卻跑進市府設置的快打接種站，順利注射莫德納疫苗當第二劑。

台中市衛生局疾病管制科長 湯澡瑛：「目前回報有混打狀況的人數呢，是5個人。那這5個人裡面呢，只有一個人出現微微的發燒，那經過我們的追蹤關懷，目前呢都沒有不適的狀況。」

中華民國基層醫療協會理事長 林應然：「大型接種站可能會被民眾騙了都不知道，因為它沒有辦法去查詢那個他過去的接種紀錄嘛。」

基層醫師坦言，大型疫苗接種站、雖然一次可施打上百人，但因為搶快，不見得每台電腦都可上網連線健保系統，如果民眾故意把健保卡上、註記疫苗的貼紙撕掉，或沒帶接種黃卡，現場工作人員根本無法辨識。對此指揮中心表示，醫療院所只要透過健保雲端藥歷，連結到疫苗接種查詢系統，就可查詢民眾所有接種記錄。

中央流行疫情指揮中心發言人 莊人祥：「在診所的話

就是透過那個雲端藥歷啦。但是如果是在接種站，因為它沒有辦法用電腦查詢的話，就是還是要透過那個健保的VPN(健保資訊網)來查啦。」

指揮中心強調，目前國內還沒有開放新冠疫苗混打，民眾自行混打、是不理性的行為，世界衛生組織WHO也呼籲各國不要貿然決定是否混打，而台中市衛生局也回應表示，已緊急採購讀卡機等相關設備，在全市5個大型接種站，供醫事人員插健保卡查詢，以避免類似事件再發生。