Taiwanese man gets jabbed with 3 different COVID vaccines

台灣男子接種了 3 種不同的 冠狀病毒 疫苗

Man shoots for 'MBA' trifecta with Moderna, BioNTech, and AstraZeneca


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Taiwanese man is believed to be the first person in the country to have been inoculated with three different COVID vaccine brands, drawing warnings and criticism from the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

Over the weekend, news broke that a man had intentionally gotten vaccinated with three different vaccine brands to achieve what local media is calling an "MBA" (Moderna, BioNTech, AstraZeneca). The man first received an AstraZeneca vaccine in Taiwan on April 21, followed by an injection of the BioNTech shot overseas on June 11, and returned to Taiwan to receive the Moderna jab on July 2, reported UDN.

In response to the fact that the man managed to be vaccinated with two different brands in Taiwan, CECC head Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said that the government's tracking of vaccinations through National Health Insurance cards needs to be improved to prevent such incidents from reoccurring. Chen stressed that getting vaccinated "is not a matter of the more kinds, the better."

Chen emphasized that medications and vaccines have their own specified indications and dosages. He pointed out that these are based on clinical trials and scientific evidence.

He admonished the public not to pursue every vaccine in the market, "otherwise he can get a shot in Guam and another in Hong Kong. Is it really good to jab your whole body with vaccines?" Chen warned that leaping through bureaucratic loopholes to get multiple injections "is definitely not good for one's health."

CECC health official Lo Yi-chun (羅一鈞) said it appears the man gamed the system since there is currently no way to verify if a person has been inoculated while abroad. However, he warned that there have yet to be any reports of the efficacy or safety of being injected with three different brands.

On the contrary, leaving the country for vaccination increases the risk of infection, asserted Lo. Traveling abroad can result in exposure to the Delta variant of the virus, which increases the risk of contracting it and transmitting it to others.

He added that there is no need to obtain a shot from a third brand and that it only increases the risk of unknown consequences.

Chen stressed that where medication and vaccines are concerned, one should follow the principle of moderation. Chen said that the center will eventually establish protocols with other countries to better track vaccination.

In the meantime, Chen exhorted the public to be truthful about their vaccination history when receiving shots in Taiwan. As for the possibility of inoculating people with a combination of different vaccines in the future, Chen said it is conceivable but that efficacy and safety must be ensured first.