The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday asked people to change their Facebook profile pictures to an image with the words “Taiwan Needs Vaccines” as KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) questioned the government’s COVID-19 vaccine policy.
“People are worried and afraid, and they have many more questions in their hearts to ask” President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Chiang told an online news conference at the KMT’s headquarters in Taipei.
The primary question is: “Where is your vaccine policy?” Chiang said.
Photo: CNA
With more than 6,000 people confirmed to have COVID-19 in a short period, Tsai should tell the public when they can expect at least 70 percent of the population to be fully vaccinated against the virus, he said.
Chiang said he believes that as long as the nation has access to doses of COVID-19 vaccines, it is capable of administering them “in the shortest time,” citing the speed with which the government-funded influenza vaccination program was carried out last year.
“The government’s arrogance, complacency and incorrect policy have caused our national crisis today,” he said.
Tsai should commit to allowing all Taiwanese to receive the COVID-19 vaccine free of charge, he said.
He added that while he was not opposed to locally manufactured vaccines, he wondered whether people would feel comfortable receiving any vaccine that had not first obtained international certification.
The KMT has asked KMT deputy secretary-general Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) to form a “vaccine countermeasures committee” to integrate all the channels within the party through which COVID-19 vaccines can be sought, and seek opportunities to obtain vaccines and resources used for disease prevention, Chiang said.
He and other party members wore black to the news conference to mourn the loss of more than 100 Taiwanese to COVID-19, he added.
The party chairman and KMT Culture and Communications Committee director-general Alicia Wang (王育敏) attended the event in person, while representatives from the KMT’s caucuses in 22 city and county councils joined them virtually in calling for vaccines.
The KMT urged the public to take action, starting by changing their Facebook profile pictures to an image of black text in English and Chinese reading: “Taiwan Needs Vaccines,” on a white background.
The purpose is to show the world, and the government, “the people’s most pressing need,” the party said.
The KMT asked people to hang a yellow ribbon in a window or from their balcony as a plea to the government, and to wear a “Taiwan Needs Vaccines” sticker on their clothes, or to place it on their vehicle or other surfaces, to spread the message.
People can share photographs of themselves taking part in the campaign on the KMT’s Facebook page, Wang said.
Chiang and Lee posed for photographs at the news conference giving the “V” sign.
The KMT on Twitter urged people to join its “V-Sign Movement,” saying that the “V” represents “vaccines, vaccination and victory over the pandemic.”
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