Can Confirmed Patients, Quarantined Voters Cast Ballots? 確診者外出投票? 薛:縮短隔離天數討論中

The legislative Social Welfare and Environmental Hygine Committee held an interpellation on Medigen vaccines on Oct. 24. According to recent reports, the government rushed to get Medigen to market and skipped steps in granting Medigen its EUA. Health and Welfare Minister Hsueh Jui-yuan say this is a "misunderstanding" and Medigen was allowed to apply for a EUA after issuing its second-phase midterm clinical trial report. Hsueh also said during the interpellation that quarantine for people with COVID-19 could be shortened to allow more people to vote.

Recently, veteran journalist Huang Kuang-chin reported that the Ministry of Health and Welfare intervened in Medigen's clinical trials to get the vaccine to market one entire year faster. This led to even more significant concerns about the vaccine's safety and efficacy, which were already in question. Health and Welfare Minister Hsueh Jui-yuan says this is all a "misunderstanding," and Medigen was legally allowed to apply for a EUA as soon as it issued a second-phase midterm clinical trial report. Hsueh also said Medigen's second phase clinical trial is ongoing and will be wrapped up soon.

Lai Hui-yuan, Legislator (DPP): “(Huang Kuang-chin) says the FDA's next directive was for Medigen to get its EUA one year ahead of schedule. For a EUA to be granted, a vaccine needs to have completed its second phase of clinical testing. Are these two separate things? ”
Hsueh Jui-yuan, Health and Welfare Minister: “Yes. The midterm report for the second phase showed it met all the conditions. The other thing was, the clinical study report. That's this year.”

As for next month's local elections, Hsueh said people with COVID-19 will not be allowed to vote but the ministry will discuss whether COVID-19 quarantine may be shortened to allow more people to vote.

Hsu Chih-jung, Legislator (KMT): “If you don't have COVID-19, you can go vote before 3 (p.m.) If you have COVID-19, you can go vote after 3 (p.m.) ”
Hsueh Jui-yuan, Health and Welfare Minister: “This would be next to impossible to implement.”

According to statistics, 1.208 million unused Medigen vaccines expired on Oct. 21 and now have to be destroyed. To date, Medigen has yet to submit all of the required documents for its EUA. The vast majority of countries, including Japan, Singapore, the U.S., Spain, and Chile, only recognize WHO-approved vaccines and therefore those that got Medigen will be barred from entering these countries.
 

國產高端疫苗爭議不斷，日前資深媒體人黃光芹爆料，高端原訂今年中才完成二期臨床試驗，卻因衛福部介入，趕鴨子上架，提早一年完成，引發立委質疑高端疫苗的安全及有效性。對此衛福部長薛瑞元表示，這是誤會，高端交了期中報告，就可申請緊急使用授權EUA，不一定要等臨床試驗全部結案，而且高端的二期試驗仍繼續進行，最近才結案。

民進黨立委賴惠員表示：「她（黃光芹）說食藥署下一個指令，就是我們高端的EUA會提早一年，EUA通過的時候需要二期，這是兩件事嘛?」

衛福部長薛瑞元則說明：「對，二期的期中報告，它已經符合了，那另外一個是，這個臨床試驗的結案報告，那是到今年。」

此外，也有立委關心，再過一個多月就是九合一選舉投票，近期新冠本土疫情趨緩，確診者是否有機會跟一般人分流投票，薛瑞元認為執行上有困難，但會針對確診者、縮短隔離天數進行討論。

國民黨立委徐世榮表示：「沒有確診的鄉親，你就（下午）3點以前去投票，確診的鄉親，就請你（下午）3點以後去投票。」

衛福部長薛瑞元則回應：「委員剛剛那個建議喔，其實執行起來會有非常大的困難。」

根據衛福部統計，截至10月21日，共有120.8萬計高端疫苗屆效，將依程序銷毀，且目前高端尚未提交EUA補件資料；而外交部報告也指出，不只有日本，包括新加坡、美國、西班牙及智利等國，入境檢疫只承認WHO認證之疫苗。