People aged 12 to 17 could be eligible for COVID-19 booster shots as early as next month, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the Central Epidemic Command Center, said yesterday.
Although increasing the booster vaccination rate among all age groups is necessary to ease border restrictions, health experts disagree on whether to give young people additional shots, Chen told a news conference in Taipei, adding that the center was still discussing the issue.
The earliest that a third shot could be given to people aged 12 to 17 would be next month, as second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine were administered to that group in December, he said.
Photo: Lai Hsiao-tung, Taipei Times
“Some experts believe that as the number of local infections has stabilized, there is no need for young people to get boosters,” he said. “However, booster shots are meant as a preventative measure, and that should be the same for adults and young people.”
Regarding border restrictions, which were eased on Monday last week to reduce the quarantine period for business travelers to 10 days, Chen said it was too early lift them entirely, as some nations were still struggling to contain COVID-19.
Chen said that Hong Kong still had a high number of COVID-19-related deaths, while China on Sunday imposed a seven-day lockdown in Shenzhen and Dongguan.
“Some experts have been calling for the government to set a comprehensive timetable for the gradual lifting of border restrictions, but it is too early for that now,” he said.
Each stage of easing restrictions involves a review of COVID-19’s resilience to the nation’s control measures, and reviews of vaccine coverage and the pandemic situation overseas, he said, adding that the trend is toward easing restrictions.
Regarding rules for Tomb Sweeping Day next month, Chen said that disease control measures would be enforced at popular sites and areas where large crowds gather, as there are still risks of community infection.
Asked if any special measures were being planned for the elections in November, Chen said that there were no plans at this time, but “during the pandemic, we are always in a state of preparation.”
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