Taiwan allows mixing of COVID-19 vaccines for healthcare workers

The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) in Taiwan has pointed out that frontline medical personnel in COVID-19 designated healthcare facilities (including designated COVID-19 wards, negative pressure isolation wards, or testing hospitals) are expected to be allowed in phases to use the Moderna vaccine as their second dose if they received a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine (AZ vaccine) at least 10 weeks before their second dose. Taiwan has received six batches of the Moderna vaccine which are being offered to individuals to be vaccinated under the national COVID-19 vaccination programme after completion of the subsequent testing and lot release procedures. Moderna has inked a new supply agreement with Taiwan for 20 million doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine and its updated variant booster vaccine candidate, if authorised, to begin delivery in 2022 and an additional 15 million doses in 2023. This new supply agreement is in addition to the prior agreement for 5 million doses in 2021.