Taiwan approves production and emergency use of local COVID-19 vaccine

Taiwan government on July 19 approved production and emergency use of first locally developed COVID-19 vaccine by Medigen. While speaking at a press conference, Taiwan’s Food and Drug ministration Director-General Wu Shou-mei said that vaccine produced by Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp. - officially known as MVC-COV1901 - will become available for public as early as August. Wu even informed that Medigen is designed for people aged over 20 who will get two shots 28 days apart. 

Back in June, Taiwanese-based pharmaceutical company h announced that it h completed second phase of clinical trials for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. It h said that results met safety standards set by FDA for emergency use. Experts ded that early data suggested it was similarly effective to AstraZeneca’s jabs, however, y gave no details of its efficacy rate. 

During a press conference, Taiwan’s health minister said that re are “no major safety concerns”. Chen Shih-chung said "it will take some time to expand production capacity” but ded that first small supplies for public could be expected in August. Chen furr informed that Medigen’s offering is a “subunit vaccine” which teaches body’s immune system to recognise spike protein that coronavirus uses to inve cells. 

Taiwan to purchase 5mn doses of Medigen vaccine 

According to Mainichi report, now, as company has been granted emergency use authorization, it is working to conduct phase three clinical trials at home and abro to seek international recognition. Taiwan government reportedly signed contracts to purchase five million doses of Medigen vaccine and anor five million doses from anor local vaccine maker, United Biomedical Inc., whose application for emergency use authorization is still pending. government has also signed contracts to purchase nearly 20 million vaccines from Moderna, AstraZeneca and unspecified brands through global COVAX facility.

As of Sunday, a total of 5.19 million COVID-19 vaccine doses h been reportedly ministered in Taiwan, covering about 22 per cent of total population. President Tsai Ing-wen has set goal of having 20 to 25 per cent of population receiving at least one dose of two-shot vaccine regimen by end of this month. Till now, Taiwan has received around 726,000 vaccine doses before US and Japan donated 2.5 million and 3.37 million doses, respectively. 

(Image: PTI)