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Japan’s ruling party to urge sharing stockpiled Covid-19 vaccines with Taiwan
- AstraZeneca vaccines bought by Japanese government not yet being used, amid concerns raised internationally over blood clots
- Stockpile in Japan estimated at 30 million doses, which will expire by September, while Taiwan is trying to obtain vaccines
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A Japan ruling party committee will recommend the government provide part of the national supply of Covid-19 vaccines secured from AstraZeneca to Taiwan, a party official said on Friday.
The move comes as Taiwan battles a spike in domestic infections and only about 1 per cent of the population of more than 23 million have been vaccinated so far.
“We should provide Taiwan with vaccines as soon as possible,” Masahisa Sato, the head of a Japanese ruling party committee on Taiwan relations, said at a press briefing. “When Japan was in need, Taiwan sent us 2 million masks,” he said.
Japan’s Sankei newspaper reported it earlier on Friday, citing government and ruling party sources. Taiwan’s foreign ministry declined to directly comment on the report, but said the government was working hard to obtain vaccines either via manufacturers or the Covax Facility.
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It added that Taipei was also seeking “like-minded countries to help obtain vaccines, and efforts have not ceased”.
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