CECC Aims to Find Workaround for Medigen Recipients 日本不認可 指揮中心研議高端補打方案

Taiwan's domestically-developed Medigen COVID-19 vaccine is not on Japan's list of approved vaccines for entry, which means that people who received the Medigen vaccine need to provide proof of a negative result on a PCR test taken within 72 hours before their arrival. The CECC is considering allowing those who chose to get the Medigen vaccine to receive approved vaccines.

A pair of married YouTubers spent NT$7,000 to get the PCR tests they need to travel to Japan. Japan recently reopened to independent travelers. They need to have received three doses of COVID-19 vaccines approved by Japan in order to not have to quarantine after arriving. Taiwan's domestically-developed Medigen vaccine has not been approved by Japan, and that means the million or so Taiwanese people who chose to get that vaccine will have to pay NT$3,500 to take a PCR test in order to travel to Japan. The CECC is looking for a workaround.

Chuang Jen-hsiang (Oct. 18, 2022), Spokesperson, Central Epidemic Command Center: “That's considered to be a policy decision, so more or less we will revise what we did last time in relation to the U.S., which is similar to the part about going to the U.S. but not being able to be vaccinated. We are currently verifying this.”

The CECC is considering allowing Medigen recipients to get vaccinated with other vaccines that are approved by Japan. DPP Legislator Kao Chia-yu said on Oct. 18 that Medigen should cover the cost of PCR tests needed by people traveling to Japan or offer compensation. KMT Legislator Lai Shyh-bao said that it will take more than half a year for people who received three Medigen doses to get three doses of an approved vaccine. 

Lai Shyh-bao, Legislator (KMT): “There needs to be an interval of six to eight weeks between the first and second doses, and 105 days between the second dose and the booster. That's what the CECC regulated. That means it will take half a year to get those three doses.”

Lai Shyh-bao, Legislator (KMT): “Is there a plan to offer these people other vaccines so they can travel to Japan? So you've already decided.”
Hsueh Jui-yuan, Health & Welfare Minister: “It should be fast, the answer will be announced today or tomorrow.  Yes.”

Taiwan's Medigen vaccine is not on the list of vaccines approved by Japan for entry. The Ministry of Health and Welfare is aiming to make it more convenient for people who chose to get the Medigen vaccine to travel to Japan by offering them approved vaccines, and an announcement will be made shortly.

 

YouTuber蔡阿嘎夫妻，拿著兩張要價共7000元的陰性PCR證明，準備飛往日本旅行。日本邊境鬆綁開放自由行，不過必須打滿3劑日本認可的疫苗，才能入境免隔離。高端疫苗不在名單內，國內100多萬名接種高端疫苗的民眾如果要去日本，就得像蔡阿嘎這樣，一個人先自費3500元。對此，指揮中心也正在研議出手解套。

疫情指揮中心發言人莊人祥表示：「因為那是屬於政策上的決定，所以我們大致上會以修改上次的，有關美國，就是類似像去美國無法接種這個部分，這個部分目前還在簽核當中。」

指揮中心研議補打方案，規劃接種高端疫苗的民眾，可以加打其他符合日本規定的廠牌疫苗。民進黨立委高嘉瑜18日提出，高端應提供赴日民眾免費PCR或是相關補償；國民黨立委賴士葆則指出，如果3劑都打高端的民眾，補打至少得花上半年。

國民黨立委賴士葆指出：「因為他每一個第1劑到第2劑，要隔6到8週，第2劑到第3劑要隔105天。這指揮中心規定的，所以全部打完，半年。」

國民黨立委賴士葆問：「去日本要補打，是不是有這件事情？」衛福部長薛瑞元回應：「應該是很快，也許今天、明天，就會有答案。」

日本的入境認可疫苗名單中，始終沒有看到高端。為了減輕民眾出國不便，衛福部長薛瑞元回應，補打方案確定上路，最快今明兩天就會有答案。