Hsieh Chin-ho slams Chiang Wan-an's vaccine remarks as 'distorting facts'

Financial commentator Hsieh Chin-ho has strongly criticized Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an's recent remarks suggesting that if the government had procured sufficient vaccines, private organizations like Tzu Chi would not have needed to.

Tzu Chi's procurement of BNT vaccines was marred by a $106 million fraud. Hsieh pointed out that Chiang's statement, made in response to questions about trusting Tzu Chi or the government, was unfair. He recalled the challenging global vaccine landscape in 2021, when Taiwan faced diplomatic hurdles and Chinese obstruction, making it difficult to acquire vaccines even with funds. Hsieh highlighted Japan's crucial role, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe donating over 2.3 million AZ vaccine doses in June and July 2021, a gesture he remembers vividly.

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At that time, if the government had bought enough vaccines, the private sector would not have needed to procure them.

Hsieh lamented that during the critical period of vaccine scarcity, opposition parties continuously criticized the government's perceived incompetence and even pushed for the purchase of Sinovac vaccines from China. He noted the soaring prices of vaccines like Moderna and the stock surge of Fosun Pharma, which controlled BNT, during this intense global competition. Hsieh also mentioned that the Sinovac vaccine later faced issues, including production halts and problems with its executives, expressing relief that Taiwanese citizens did not receive it.

"Many people have forgotten the immense difficulties of that time and are even distorting the facts, which is heartbreaking," Hsieh wrote on Facebook. He emphasized that former Health Minister Chen Shih-chung made significant efforts, deserving at least acknowledgment for his hard work, despite the current narrative that seems to overlook these contributions.

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This sentence is not fair. Chen Shih-chung gave his all, and even if he didn't have merit, he had hard work. But many people are distorting the facts, which is heartbreaking!