Taiwan drafting rules to recognize overseas COVID vaccination records
ROC Central News Agency
08/14/2021 05:37 PM
Taipei, Aug. 14 (CNA) Taiwan's government is drafting a protocol on the recognition of COVID-19 vaccination records from abroad, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said Saturday.
Currently, if people who received their COVID-19 vaccine abroad are asked for records to prove they are fully vaccinated, they can use the certificate issued to them in the country where they were vaccinated, Chen said during a press briefing in Taipei.
This is because there are no bilateral agreements on recognition of COVID-19 vaccination records at the moment, the minister said.
However, the planned protocol will only recognize vaccination records where people received a COVID-19 vaccine that has obtained an emergency use authorization (EUA) from Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and acquired a certificate for inoculation undertaken abroad, he added.
Apart from the COVID-19 vaccines developed by AstraZeneca and Moderna, which have been used in Taiwan's vaccination rollout since March 22, the FDA has also granted an EUA to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and one developed locally by Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp.
Meanwhile, Chen said Taiwan is not planning to relax its current border controls anytime soon.
Taiwan tightened its border controls in mid-May due to a local COVID-19 outbreak, and the majority of people entering the country have to undergo mandated quarantine and take tests for the disease, regardless of their vaccination status.
Even travelers returning from Palau under the travel bubble program are required to observe five days of "enhanced" self-health management, during which time they are advised to avoid contact with other people.
(By Chang Ming-hsuan, Chiang Hui-chun and Kay Liu)
Enditem/AW
Note: Taiwan's vaccine rollout began on March 22, first with doses from AstraZeneca, then with Moderna doses starting on June 9.
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