Incentives worth up to NT$500 (NT$17.29) offered to seniors to get vaccinated in Taiwan will be extended until May 31, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced Saturday.
In order to encourage more people aged 65 and older, as well as Indigenous people aged 55 and up to get vaccinated against COVID-19, the incentives will continue to be offered to those who receive either their first, second, or third COVID-19 vaccine shot, Health and Welfare Minister Chen Shih-chung (???) said at a daily press briefing.
Chen, who heads the CECC, urged all seniors to get vaccinated, the sooner the better, to boost their immunity against the virus.
According to the epidemic center, the NT$500 incentive is offered per vaccine shot in the form of hygiene and educational products. The program rolled out on March 10 was initially set to expire on April 10.
To date, 83.59 percent of people in Taiwan have received at least one COVID-19 shot, while 78.68 percent have gotten two doses and 52.04 percent have received a booster shot, the latest CECC data showed.
Among people aged between 65 and 74, 86.9 percent have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot, 83.3 percent have gotten at least two doses, and 69.4 percent have gotten a booster shot, its data showed.
Meanwhile, the figure for those aged 75 and above who had their first, second and booster shots is 76.6 percent, 71.2 percent and 55.5 percent, respectively.
The CECC has compiled a list of facilities (https://reurl.cc/7eW0AQ) where people can get their vaccine shots with most requiring appointments, as well as a separate list of places where walk-in vaccinations are available.
The incentive extension came amid rising numbers of new domestically-transmitted cases of COVID-19 in Taiwan since late March.
On Saturday, the CECC reported an additional 578 new cases of the disease, of which 442 were domestically transmitted and 136 imported.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel