Coronavirus Vaccine in Taiwan - May/June 2021

Hope they go better than all the other talks he was in charge of. Wasted so much time.

Plus moderna would set up a its own preexisting SOP it doesn’t need Taiwan expertise per se.

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I was. I was just comparing what a reasonable adult does, like just traveling to get the shot on his own dime, rather than abusing guanxi to save bucks. Especially when so many people who need it most are still unprotected.

As some media were quoting, someone said bad actions have bad results.

If you feel frustrated , then maybe look at your starting point and the general quality of your arguments. Just because people dont have the same opinions as you, dont dismiss them as “hyper-partisan” and actually look at the facts and evidence.

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These arguments about Taiwan’s vaccine production capacity being fixed sound a bit reductionist to me. This virus is here for several years to come. Build out the capacity, with either some expansionary fiscal policy, or if as noted above it is some budgetary constraint, enter into partnerships with private firms.

Should Google not build their AI centre here because they currently don’t have the required capacity?

By far, the stupidest fuqqed-up reason I have ever heard ever for a business/health plan is “we don’t have the capacity to make your vaccine in such HUGE quantities, please go elsewhere”, which is probably what it sounded like to AZ’s ear, and that is IF (a big fuqqing IF) we are to believe CDC’s Chen.

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If the domestic vaccines are going to need three shots, doesnt that just increase the time further for the population to be vaccinated, and also suggest that the efficacy of the first shot will be less than other vaccines. I

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The more we learn the more I suspect decisions were mostly driven by politics rather than public health.

The dream of TW escaping the pandemic unscathed and then being able to vaccinate its population with mostly homegrown vaccine must have been irresistible.

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Yep!

It also will require more raw materials, more vials, more syringes and more man hours.

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Is that the case with Medigen vaccines specifically, or with all the protein based vaccines?

If you have access to sources on this, it’d be great to see them.

Guy

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Y’all see this news about J&J?

This is from May, but read they said again last few days

Medigen tested three doses of its vaccine — low, medium and high — in the phase 1 trials, with the medium dose showing the best potential, so the phase 2 trials only use the medium dose, he said.

“Even if the FDA concludes that the medium dose is not strong enough, the formula does not need to be changed, as the issue could be solved by giving people a third shot,” Lee said Medigen begins making its vaccine - Taipei Times

I think read Protein vaccines have less side effects but need more shots

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Thank you.

Guy

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They are flagging in advance in case they need three shots. Hopefully not but let’s see.

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The other reason Chen gave for not signing AZ contract was “Someone was not happy about it”. Guess was hinting at China. Like sheesh, that excuse again

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It’s the excuse for everything for Taiwan now.
Water shortage. Blame China.
The government is doing what every government does, blame another entity for their own idiocy.

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What I understand is that they’re not seeking J&J, but Pfizer and/or Moderna. So these are tours of at least 3 weeks.

Besides this, a lot of people are going to the US on their own to get vaccinated with quality vaccines. That’s why demand for flights to the US has skyrocketed, as have ticket prices.

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English article about the PCHomer chairman:
Seems like he had been a volunteer for the foundation (to what extent I do not know) and was told because of his volunteer status was told he was eligible for the vaccine.

The article also mentions TV personality Huo Chang-ming (侯昌明) and his wife Kuo Tzu-chien (郭子乾).

Jan said he was wrong to receive a COVID-19 shot on Tuesday and will try hard to do something to make up for his behavior, including helping to deal with an escalation in domestically-transmitted cases, but he emphasized that he “was and is never the kind of person who takes advantage of any privilege.”

“I hope I will not use any privilege in the future,” Jan added.

The clinic was also accused of the unauthorized administration of more than 1,000 doses of vaccine received from the city government.

Also Hsinchu Armed Forces hospital is being accused of vaccinating VIPs/people who are skipping the line.

In addition to Good Liver Clinic, Hsin Chu Armed Force Hospital was also accused of vaccinating people who are not on the priority list.

Currently at 1 confirmed clinic, 1 clinic accused, and 2 hospitals accused of giving vaccines to people who shouldn’t be getting them.

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“Except, y’know, this one time. Please don’t cancel me?”

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Expect more until they get serious about the punishment. But of course the authorities know this.

Some translations:

“We don’t have the capacity” - we are afraid to spend the money.
“Someone was not happy” - we are afraid of what China thinks.

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