NO SHORTAGE: In response to reports of a shortage of flu vaccines, the health and welfare minister said that there were more than 2 million vaccines still available

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 12, 2019
By: Lee I-chia  /  Staff reporter

The nation still has more than 2 million doses of government-funded flu vaccines and shortages at some medical centers might be due to logistical issues, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said yesterday, rejecting media reports that flu vaccines were running low.

Local Chinese-language media on Tuesday reported that some public health centers and hospitals had announced that they did not have enough vaccines on the second day of phase two of the government-funded seasonal flu vaccination program.

The government is this year distributing the vaccines in three phases, beginning with elementary and high-school students and medical practitioners on Nov. 15, followed by the second phase, which started on Sunday, for preschoolers and people aged 65 and older.

Out of the 3.165 million doses of government-funded vaccines that have been dispatched to local health departments, only about 1.138 million have been used, leaving about 2.027 million available, and there has not been a shortage of vaccines, Chen said when asked for comment at the Legislative Yuan.    [FULL  STORY]