The Consumers’ Foundation is opposing plans for locally developed vaccines to bypass phase 3 clinical trials.
However, it urged the government to find more sources from which to acquire vaccines and to increase monetary incentives for those willing to be vaccinated.
The government’s COVID-19 pandemic prevention policy, while having sustained the nation for the past year and four months is rapidly falling behind that of other nations in terms of vaccinations, the foundation told a news conference in Taipei on Friday.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
Taiwan’s rates of obtaining vaccines and vaccinating its residents are low, the foundation added.
The Central Epidemic Command Center has said that it has purchased nearly 20 million doses from the COVAX program, AstraZeneca and other sources, but to date only about 315,700 doses, or 1.59 percent, have been delivered, it said.
The center has said that Taiwan has received 199,200 AstraZeneca vaccine doses from COVAX, which expire on May 31, and 117,000 doses directly from AstraZeneca, which expire on June 15.
Taiwan has signed deals to buy 10 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, 5.05 million Moderna doses, and 4.76 million doses of unspecified brands through the COVAX program, which has so far allocated 1.02 million AstraZeneca shots to Taiwan.
The foundation said government records show that 129,669, or 41 percent of obtained vaccines, have been administered to the public, adding that those who have received the jab only comprise 0.55 percent of Taiwan’s population.
This is a far cry from the 60 to 70 percent inoculation rate needed for herd immunity, the foundation said.
It urged local pharmaceutical companies to emulate South Korean companies, which have obtained the rights to manufacture AstraZeneca vaccines.
Plans to order 20 million doses of vaccines researched in Taiwan and manufactured by local companies have yet to be realized, as local vaccines are still undergoing phase 2 clinical trials, the foundation said.
Moreover, phase 3 trials are an important step in which the vaccines’ effectiveness and safety are put to the test, and the foundation is opposed to locally researched vaccines bypassing the stage, it said.
Many of the vaccines on the market have had expedited trials, exposing those taking the vaccination to greater risk, the foundation said.
Many countries have been offering subsidies, empowered by special legislation, to increase people’s willingness to take the jab, the foundation said, adding that the government should also consider such measures.
Additional reporting by CNA
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