TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Wednesday (Nov. 24) announced it will make a decision on whether to resume second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT) COVID vaccine for children between the ages of 12 and 17 on Sunday (Nov. 28).
During a press conference Wednesday afternoon, a member of the media asked Health Minister and CECC head Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) if there had been any developments on discussions about lifting the moratorium on the second dose of the BNT vaccine for children ages 12-17. Chen responded by saying a meeting on the subject is slated for Sunday.
When asked whether an official announcement would be made on the day of the meeting or on Monday, Chen said that it would depend on the outcome of the talks.
On Nov. 17, CECC Spokesman Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) will meet at the end of November to discuss whether to reinstate the second BNT shot for that demographic. Chuang pledged to announce any resolution that results from the meeting.
On Nov. 10, Chen announced that a panel of experts from the ACIP had decided to suspend administration of the second dose for children between 12 and 17 for two weeks due to concerns over an increased risk of myocarditis. Chen said that Centers for Disease Control (CDC) physicians would investigate 16 reports of myocarditis occurring among adolescents following their second BNT dose before finalizing its decision on whether to resume second shots.
The photo above shows 15-year-old twin sisters Lele (樂樂) and Joujou (媃媃) receiving their first dose of the BNT vaccine on Sept. 22. Despite being identical twins, they experienced different reactions.
Half an hour after receiving the shot, Lele began to feel dizzy and nauseous and her arm was so sore that she needed an ice compress, reported Mirror Media. However, Joujou did not experience any reaction at all to the jab.
