People vaccinated with the Taiwan-developed Medigen COVID-19 vaccine can now receive shots of other vaccine brands to meet travel requirements in destination countries, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced Friday.
The Medigen vaccine is currently accepted in only six countries -- New Zealand, Palau, Indonesia, Argentina, Israel, and Belize, according to the CECC.
Individuals who have received either their first or second Medigen jab can apply for two additional shots of their choice from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and AstraZeneca vaccines, said Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (???) at the CECC's daily press briefing.
To receive the additional vaccination shots they will have to provide documents such as electronic air tickets, proof of overseas employment or school attendance to the administering hospital, and receive an evaluation from a doctor before getting vaccinated, he said.
The first extra dose should be taken at least 28 days after their last Medigen jab, Chen said.
Meanwhile, the interval between the two additional shots should be three weeks for Pfizer-BioNTech, four weeks for Moderna, and four to 12 weeks for AstraZeneca, Chen said, adding that the second additional dose should be administered 14 days before taking the flight.
However, people with no urgent need to travel abroad are not advised to take additional vaccine jabs, the CECC said.
Currently, there has been no research or trial conducted into the effects of mixing Medigen shots and other vaccine brands, though there is evidence that people who mix vaccines of different brands have a higher chance of experiencing side effects, it said.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel