Three Places Start Giving Teens Second BNT Dose 校園第2劑BNT 台北.台中.宜蘭今率先開打

The Central Epidemic Command Center announced people aged 12 to 17 can get their second BNT doses starting on Dec. 20. Taipei, Taichung, and Yilan started allowing people aged 12 to 17 to  get their second BNT doses on Dec. 16. Meanwhile, the Taipei City Government and National Taiwan University Hospital are working together to learn more about the risk of myocarditis in high-school age males after the second dose.

The Central Epidemic Command Center previously announced that people aged 12 to 17 would be able to get their second BNT dose starting on Dec. 20. Taipei, Taichung, and Yilan started ahead of time, on Dec. 16. Taipei Hwa Kang Arts School became the first school in Taipei to administer second doses. Students said they weren't worried about the side effects, while the school said the majority of parents consented to second doses for their children and 92 percent of students will receive second doses. The school also held a drill for online learning.

Lin Shih-hua, Student, Taipei Hwa Kang Arts School: “I'm a performer, the sequelae (of COVID-19) could severely affect my performing abilities. I don't want to get infected, since this could lead to even greater problems. That's why I got vaccinated.”

Ting Yung-ching, Principal, Taipei Hwa Kang Arts School: “There are only about 20 students here who didn't get vaccines. Their parents may have other considerations. The rest all cooperated.”

International studies show that high-school age males run the risk of developing myocarditis after receiving a second BNT dose. The Taipei City Government and National Taiwan University Hospital are working together to learn more about this risk. They are conducting ECGs on 5,803 male students who agreed to participate and that attend Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School, Chenggong High School, Taipei Municipal Daan Vocational High School, and Taipei Municipal Nangang Vocational High School before they get the vaccine and two days after. 

Lin Yu-jen, Student, Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School: “An ECG test is non-invasive, and I thought I might as well do it.”

Tsai Ping-kun, Taipei City Deputy Mayor: “We surveyed the vaccine willingness of 140,000 senior high and junior high school students, and 80 percent said they would get vaccinated on campus this time.”

NTUH said ECGs are non-invasive. Statistics show that 72 percent of the students at these four schools agreed to the test. Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je said the myocarditis risk for male high school students getting their second BNT dose is 10 times higher than that of female students, and this study's results will help to establish a national database.  

Ko Wen-je, Taipei City Mayor: “We're establishing an ECG database on young Taiwanese people. Tests are conducted before they get the vaccine. We're trying to determine what the myocarditis risk is for those who get the vaccine.”

Ko said the study will first target male students, who are at the highest risk. ECGs will be conducted a second time within 48 hours after the second vaccine dose. Those with myocarditis symptoms will receive medical treatment.
 

學生排排坐，陸續接種疫苗，指揮中心宣布20日起，開放青少年接種第二劑BNT疫苗，包括台北、台中、宜蘭，今日率先開打。而華岡藝校成為北市第一所接種第二劑BNT的學校，學生表示，不擔心第二劑的副作用。校方回應，家長配合度高，同意讓學生施打，全校第二劑接種率高達92%。同時，也做了線上教學的演練。

華岡藝校學生林室樺說：「因為我是表演者，所以後遺症的副作用，會讓我有點那個表演的功能，大大下降，所以我接種的原因，是因為我不希望確診，因為會有很多麻煩的事情出現。」

華岡藝校校長丁永慶表示：「沒有打疫苗的學生，其實只有20幾位，那可能家長有一些其他的考量，不然的話，幾乎其他的家長都是非常的配合。」

不過，國外研究顯示，高中年齡的男性施打第二劑BNT疫苗，可能出現併發症，主要是心肌炎，引起家長關切。對此，北市府跟台大醫院合作，針對建國高中、成功高中、大安高工、南港高工，4所男生較多的學校，在施打疫苗前，以及及施打後第二天安排心電圖檢查，總計有5803名學生同意做檢測。

建國高中學生林予任說：「做心電圖其實也不是什麼很侵入性的措施之類，所以就想說既然那就有這樣子的方案，那就順著一起做。」

台北市副市長蔡炳坤表示：「14萬多的高國中學生，經過這段期間的意願調查，總共我們做一個統計，有8成的學生會在校園當中，做這一次的接種。」

台大醫學院表示，心電圖篩檢跟健康檢查一樣，沒有侵入性。而根據統計，四所學校有72%學生同意篩檢。台北市長柯文哲指出，高中男生接種第二劑BNT，引發心肌炎的機率，比女生高10倍，透過大規模實驗做完整研究，建立本土的資料庫。

台北市長柯文哲表示：「我們建立一個台灣年輕人這種心電圖的資料庫，在打疫苗之前，就先做一個基本盤，那另外一個就是說，到底這個打疫苗，會產生心肌炎危險度有多少。」柯文哲強調，目前先針對高危險群的男學生做實驗，而學生接種第二劑BNT後48小時內，再次做心電圖，若發現心肌炎症狀，就會要求立刻就醫。