Push Admin

Taiwan's president leads way in first domestic COVID-19 shot

Article (news)

Fabian Hamacher, Reuters

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Courtesy of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen Facebook Page" src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/08/23/taiwan.jpg"/><figcaption><em>Courtesy of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen Facebook Page</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>TAIPEI - President Tsai Ing-wen got vaccinated with Taiwan&#x27;s first domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, giving her personal stamp of approval as the island begins rolling out the contested shot whose approval critics say has been rushed.</p><p>The health ministry last month approved the emergency use of Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp&#x27;s COVID-19 vaccine, part of a broader plan for inoculation self-sufficiency as delays in vaccine deliveries from global drug companies have affected Taiwan and many other countries.</p><p>Tsai, who had held off using vaccines from Moderna Inc or AstraZeneca Plc, the current mainstay of Taiwan&#x27;s vaccination program, received her Medigen shot at a hospital in central Taipei, demonstrating her confidence and to prove it is safe.</p><p>Tsai chatted to medical workers as they prepared her shot, the whole process being broadcast live on her Facebook page, and gave a short response of &quot;no&quot; to a shouted question from reporters about whether she was nervous.</p><p>More than 700,000 people have signed up so far to receive the Medigen vaccine, which requires a second shot 28 days after the first one.</p><p>Medigen, whose Chinese name literally means &quot;high-end,&quot; rejects claims its vaccine is either unsafe or that it has been sent to market with undue haste, saying it is effective and well tested.</p><p>&quot;We have done so many experiments, everyone has seen how safe our vaccine is. There are so few side effects, almost no fever and so on. So, I think everyone can rest assured,&quot; Medigen&#x27;s Chief Executive Officer Charles Chen told Reuters.</p><p>The recombinant protein vaccine has been developed in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health in the United States, and the government has ordered an initial 5 million doses. It says nobody will be forced to get it.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/07/23/21/tawian-to-ease-covid19-restrictions-cases-drop">Taiwan to ease COVID-19 restrictions as cases drop</a></li></ul><p>But Taiwan&#x27;s main opposition party, the Kuomintang, or KMT, has mounted a fierce campaign against the shot, with one of its former vice chairmen, Hau Lung-bin, filing a lawsuit to invalidate Medigen&#x27;s authorization, though a court rejected that last week.</p><p>The party says it supports domestic vaccines, but that Medigen&#x27;s approval has been rushed.</p><p>&quot;There is no need for the lives and health of the Taiwanese people to serve as white rats in a laboratory,&quot; Ho Chih-yung, deputy head of the KMT&#x27;s international department, told Reuters.</p><p>Around 40 percent of Taiwan&#x27;s 23.5 million people have received at least 1 shot of either of the 2-dose AstraZeneca or Moderna vaccine, though fewer than 5 percent are fully vaccinated.</p><p>However, unlike some other parts of Asia, Taiwan faces no huge pressure to accelerate its vaccination drive, as it is recording only a handful of domestic infections a day.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hWmsKdtLy5A?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

President Tsai Ing-wen got vaccinated with Taiwan's first domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine on Monday.

Taiwan's president leads way in first domestic COVID-19 shot

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Overseas

Taiwan's president leads way in first domestic COVID-19 shot

Fabian Hamacher,

Reuters

Published Aug 23, 2021 09:31 AM PHT

Read More:

ANC

Taiwan

Taipei

COVID19

coronavirus

COVID19 vaccine

Tsai Ing-wen

Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp

Medigen

COVID19 vaccination

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.