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Over 3 million people in Taiwan receive at least one COVID-19 shot

ROC Central News Agency

07/09/2021 09:11 PM

Taipei, July 9 (CNA) The number of people, who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in Taiwan, has passed 3 million, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Friday.

As of Friday, 3,060,361 people, around 13 percent of Taiwan's population of 23.5 million, have been given at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot, while 60,720 have received both shots of either the AstraZeneca or Moderna vaccine, CDC data showed.

The number rose quickly after the vaccine rollout expanded to people aged 65 and above on July 1, and the daily number of doses administered hit a high of 208,564 on Thursday, according to the CDC.

Thursday was also the first time people were given the second dose of the Moderna vaccine, rollout of which began on June 9, CDC data showed.

 

After receiving 1.13 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine donated by Japan on Thursday, CDC Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said the government hopes to further expand the vaccination program to include individuals in Category 9 and 10 on the priority list from July 16.

Category 9 covers at-risk groups of people with chronic diseases aged between 19 and 64, while Category 10 is those aged 50 to 64.

Taiwan received its first batch of COVID-19 vaccine in early March -- 117,000 doses directly supplied by AstraZeneca as part of a deal to procure 10 million doses from the pharmaceutical company -- and began the vaccine rollout on March 22.

 

Apart from the deal signed with AstraZeneca, Taiwan has also signed contracts to purchase 5.05 million doses from Moderna, 4.76 million doses of unspecified brands through the COVAX program, and 10 million doses from two Taiwanese vaccine developers.

To date, Taiwan has taken delivery of about 7 million doses of AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccines from Japan, the United States, vaccine manufacturers, and via the global vaccine sharing initiative COVAX.

(By Kay Liu)

Enditem/AW