Chen Shih-chung, head of Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) which approves vaccines, on Sunday said that Taiwan does not consider inoculations manufactured in China to be a viable option.
In a recent interview Chen pointed out that because technical data for the Chinese vaccine is incomplete and relevant scientific information has not yet been published, it is not a candidate vaccine for Taiwan.
Chen’s comments were made in an interview when he was asked to respond to former President Ma Ying-jeou’s comment on accepting Chinese vaccines.
Chen also confiremed that CECC will continue to address COVID-19 as “Wuhan coronavirus” as called it as such since the virus broke out from the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, China.
Other than purchsing COVID-19 vaccines from other countries, Taiwan is also developing three of its own domestic vaccines. In January, Taiwan’s Health Minister and Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) had announced that the country has purchased 20 million doses of coronavirus vaccines, including 10 million from AstraZeneca.
CECC has estimated that inoculating Taiwanese residents center will begin with these vaccines by March of 2021. In addition, discussions with several other foreign vaccine makers who have entered Phase III trials are ongoing.
Aayush Pal 
Balaji Subramanian 
Dhruv Ashok