Taiwan reviews myocarditis data, approves second doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for older children
Concerns over the risk of myocarditis led Taiwan to suspend second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 12 and 17. Now, however, the country has announced that those second doses are scheduled to continue by the middle of December.
Chen Shih-chung, the head of Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center, announced the news on Nov. 28.
According to a new report from Taiwan’s Central News Agency, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) reviewed all available data and concluded that cases of myocarditis and pericarditis are rare enough that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination far outweigh the risks.
The ACIP also emphasized that the first and second dose should be spaced at least 12 weeks apart.
The ACIP also recommended that all high-risk adults seek out COVID-19 booster shots once they have already received two vaccine doses. At least six months should pass after an adult receives their second dose before they receive a booster shot, the committee said.
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