Interest in getting the COVID vaccine is on the rise. The Central Epidemic Command Center says that on May 3, 4,166 people received an AstraZeneca vaccine, marking a new daily high. The heightened interest in vaccines comes amid a growing local outbreak that originated with pilots of China Airlines. Earlier this week, free vaccines were made available to people living with high-risk individuals.
At Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, the waiting room of the vaccine clinic is full of people. Amid a recent uptick in local infections, the CECC expanded eligibility for publicly funded vaccines on Monday. Now people living with high-risk individuals can get a shot. Originally many people had said they were in no rush to get vaccinated. But with the local outbreak growing, interest in vaccines is on the rise.
Member of public
My son works here, so I’m basically living with a health worker. Just look at the recent pilot cluster and the India crisis. Originally nobody in Taiwan wanted a shot, but now everyone is rushing to get one.
Member of public
There’s the issue of blood clots in younger women, so I wasn’t thinking of getting one at first. In the end, I saw that the situation was getting more severe, so I thought I’d better get vaccinated.
According to government data, only 2,515 people were vaccinated on April 21, the first day that self-paid vaccines were made available. But on May 3, 4,166 shots were administered, marking a new daily high.
Case #1,153, a China Airlines pilot who was diagnosed with COVID on Tuesday, had already received one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. His case has raised questions about the vaccine’s efficacy.
Huang Li-min
NTU Children’s Hospital director
For the first AZ shot to reliably offer protection, you might need to wait two weeks at least. Also, the first AZ shot alone is only 50% to 60% effective. Not enough time had passed. In addition, he hadn’t received his second dose. So these two reasons explain why he ended up getting infected.
Experts say the AZ vaccine takes at least 12 days to offer protection against COVID. The pilot had received his first shot only nine days prior to developing symptoms. Medical experts say the vaccine does not offer immunity immediately after administration.