Experts Recommends Fourth Shot for High-risk Groups 專家會議:童打莫德納 特殊族群打第4劑

As the pandemic situation is getting worse, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has decided to allow children aged six to 11 to get the Moderna vaccine. Meanwhile, a fourth shot is also recommended for vulnerable groups.

Clara Chou, Radio Host: “Let's go, people of Taiwan!”

Clara Chou hosted her radio program as usual on April 20. She interviewed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices convener Lee Ping-ing. The two shared a studio during the live broadcast. One day later, Chou posted on Facebook that she had tested positive in a PCR test. Although both were wearing masks the entire time, Lee still took a PCR test.

Lee Ping-ing, Convener, ACIP: “I'm going to get tested. (What's your current condition?) Okay, I don't have any symptoms.”

Lee attended an ACIP meeting on April 20. He said all participants wore masks the entire time. The committee decided to allow the use of the Moderna vaccine on children aged six to 11 and people in high-risk groups including senior citizens, residents of long-term care facilities, and immunosuppressed adults to get a fourth shot. Some experts say COVID-19 will spread even faster in October and November when the weather cools and even the average person may need to get four shots.

Huang Li-min, Honorary Chair, Infectious Diseases Society of Taiwan: “Under normal circumstances, it's optimal to get the fourth dose five to six months after the last dose. The booster effect will be more noticeable this way, and the time the antibodies will work will last longer. It will depend on when you got your last shot.”

Meanwhile, one Academia Sinica academician called for the research and development of a broad-spectrum vaccine that can protect against all future variants.

Wong Chi-huey, Academician, Academia Sinica: “Everyone knows that it has to go through stage I, II, and III human trials after the technology transfer to confirm its safety and validity. After that, it has to be authorized by health authorities before it can be used. All this requires some time.”

Experts say the daily caseload may exceed 10,000 by the end of April or the beginning of May based on how quickly the disease is spreading and the Rt value. They recommend suspending epidemic investigations to ensure that medical treatment is being used effectively.

「我們全國人民加油!」

20日現場直播的電台節目，主持人周玉蔻和傳染病防治諮詢會預防接種組召集人李秉穎共處一室，未料隔天周玉蔻就在臉書發文PCR陽性確診，雖然節目上兩人全程都有戴口罩，但李秉穎稍晚也將做PCR確認。

李秉穎說：「我就是要去篩檢一下，（記者問：你現在身體狀況還好嗎?），還好，沒有症狀。」

身為ACIP召集人的李秉穎，前一天才剛召開專家會議，疫情是否燒進指揮中心，李秉穎強調與會者同樣都有全程配戴口罩，至於當天會議結論，除了開放6到11歲兒童接種莫德納疫苗，特殊族群包括65歲以上長者、長照機構住民、免疫力低下等成人可以施打第四劑，不過有專家警告，如果進入10月、11月，新冠病毒會因為低溫更猖獗，一般人可能都要打滿四劑。

台灣感染症醫學會名譽理事長黃立民認為：「第四劑在一般的情況下，還是希望5個月或6個月以後再打，加強的效果會比較明顯，
抗體打上來後可能持續的時間會比較久，取決於最後一劑什麼時候打。」

新冠病毒變化快又難以預測 ，加上現有疫苗並非百分百預防，中研院院士翁啟惠認為，必須要投入研發廣效性疫苗，面對新突變狀況。

翁啟惠指出：「技轉之後，大家也知道必須要經過一級、二級、三級人體試驗，證明它的安全性跟有效性，之後經過衛生單位核准才能使用，所以這個需要一段時間。」

另外黃立民以國內疫情傳播狀況和Rt值評估，到了4月底或5月初，就有可能每天單日確診數突破萬例，建議現階段應該停止疫調，讓醫療量能有效發揮。