The Centers for Disease Control (hereafter referred to as CDC) said today (the 26th) that as the epidemic trend rises, the public's willingness to get vaccinated has also noticeably increased. Currently, COVID‑19 vaccines are sufficient. To provide the public with COVID‑19 vaccination and enhance immune protection, the CDC continues to allocate vaccines weekly based on the vaccination demand reported by local health bureaus. Regarding the media report that clinics in Taipei City have run out of vaccines, the explanation is as follows:
1. COVID‑19 vaccines must be stored according to cold‑chain management regulations, typically frozen at -50°C to -15°C. Before distribution, they must be transferred from the frozen environment to refrigerated conditions of 2°C to 8°C, and subsequent distribution must follow cold‑chain protocols. Because COVID‑19 vaccines need to be thawed before distribution, the CDC regularly asks each county and city health bureau each week to assess the local demand for COVID‑19 vaccines. Based on the demand, the vaccine cold‑chain logistics schedule the deliveries. The processes of thawing, sorting, and delivering the vaccines take three days, so any additional distribution requests will still need to wait for the required processing time. In response to the recent escalation of the COVID‑19 epidemic, the CDC sent a letter on July 15 to health bureaus to properly inventory and prepare local medical resources, and allocated sufficient vaccines to contracted medical institutions, while also emailing all county and city health bureaus to overestimate vaccine demand to meet public vaccination needs.
2. The Taipei City Health Bureau reported on July 23 a demand of 1,900 doses to be delivered on July 27. Due to a surge in public demand, the request was temporarily increased by 4,100 doses on July 24. After receiving the local request, the CDC immediately asked the Taipei regional control center to coordinate with district control centers to inventory vaccine stocks across counties and cities, and actively coordinated inter‑regional vaccine allocation, successfully transferring 300 doses to support Taipei. The Taipei City Government dispatched personnel on July 24 to collect the vaccines from the supplying counties, and promptly completed the additional vaccine thawing and preparation work. A total of 6,000 COVID‑19 vaccine doses will be delivered on July 27 and 28 to contracted medical institutions in Taipei’s allocated jurisdiction.
The CDC emphasizes that vaccination is the most effective way to prevent COVID‑19 infection and reduce the risk of severe complications. The central government continues to work hand‑in‑hand with local authorities to actively respond to the rising epidemic and protect public health. The public who have not yet completed COVID‑19 vaccination are urged to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Information on contracted medical institutions and related vaccination details can be found on the CDC’s global website ( https://www.cdc.gov.tw/) under the Immunization Section “COVID‑19 and Influenza Vaccine and Antiviral Medicine Map”, or visit local health bureau websites for inquiry, or call the toll‑free pandemic prevention hotline 1922 (or 0800‑001922) for assistance.
Source: Centers for Disease Control
Data compiled: Infection Control Office
