Another batch of Moderna vaccines delivered to Taiwan as Covid-19 inoculation program lags

The Taiwanese inoculation campaign has received another boost after a further 410,000 shots were delivered from Moderna, the third such delivery from the US drugmaker.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen announced that the Moderna doses had touched down on the island, claimed by China as an integral part of its territory. “These will go a long way to ensuring those most in need are protected, as we continue our nationwide vaccination drive,” she noted.  

The shipment was delivered by air to Taoyuan International Airport. The EVA Air cargo flight had left Amsterdam late Tuesday en route to Taiwan.

According to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), the shipment was immediately taken into cold storage for inspection by the nation’s medical authorities.Taiwan has ordered 5.05 million doses from Moderna and Wednesday’s delivery is the third to-date. Smaller deliveries had already been made on May 28 and June 18. 

Despite slow progress with regards to vaccinations, Tsai’s government has been unwilling to accept the Chinese offer of assistance, although Chinese media has reported that many Taiwanese citizens have been vaccinated on the mainland.

The largest deliveries to date have both been donations. On June 4, Taiwan received 1.23 million AstraZeneca shots from Japan, with a further 2.5 million Moderna jabs delivered from the US on June 20. The country also plans to roll out a domestically developed vaccine. 

To-date, only around 8% of the Taiwanese population have received at least their first vaccine shot. However, a spike in infections which peaked in late May has subsided, with the daily average for recorded infections falling below 200.

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