Health and Safety

Public health, workplace, and public safety

Vaccine injury program awards NT$1.5 million payout over death of elderly woman

covid-19 vaccines
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Taiwan’s Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) awarded compensation of NT$1.5 million to the family of a 90-year-old woman who died 5 minutes after being injected with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. According to the VICP review information, the elderly woman was a long-term resident of a care institution with a medical history of multiple chronic diseases, including asthma, hypertensive heart disease, and diabetes. In July, 2022, the woman was injected with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Within five minutes of injection, the

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Indian-American student drowns while swimming at beach in southern Taiwan

rescuers pull man out of water at beach
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment , , , ,

An Indian-American man studying at Taiwan’s Tsinghua University was declared dead at the hospital after a drowning incident at a popular tourist beach in southern Taiwan’s Pingtung County, yesterday, June 24. Pingtung County Fire Department said they received a report that two people had been swept away by a rip current near Sail Rock in Kenting National Park in Hengchun Township at around 1:10 pm. When firefighters and paramedics arrived at the scene, two people had already been plucked out

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New Taipei City celebrates Mother’s Day with free COVID vaccines and gifts

covid-19 mother's day vaccine propaganda
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

The New Taipei City Department of Health is offering free gifts for women who get vaccinated for COVID from today, May 10, until the end of the month, it was announced today. The Department of Health said that all females who get vaccinated at community health clinics and vaccination stations in New Taipei City can receive special Mother’s Day gifts which include an electronic thermometer and dishwashing detergent. The number of gifts is limited and will only be available while

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The Pandemic is not over! Free COVID-19 tests available nationwide

COVID-19 antigen tests
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment

Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced today that free COVID-19 rapid screening tests will be available at pharmacies nationwide, and you don’t even have to show a health insurance card or ID to get the test kits. The CDC said that while the COVID-19 pandemic has passed its peak, there were still 195 new cases last week. and 15 deaths. CDC spokesperson Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) said that the World Health Organization (WHO) and US Centers for Disease Control recommend continuous monitoring and

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Taiwan’s Vaccine Injury Compensation Program comes under fire: treating human life as a trifling matter

legislators, lawyers, vaccine injury victims at press conference
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Taiwan’s Department of Health and Welfare Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) came under fire today at a press conference where it was accused of treating human life as “a trifling matter.” Legislators Chao-Tzu Chen (陳昭姿) of the Taiwan People’s Party, and Sean Liao (廖偉翔) of the Kuomintang held the press conference, pointing out that a recent judgement by the Taipei High Administrative Court showed that the VICP lacked transparency in procedures and suffered irregularities in the review process. Chao and

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Couple missing on Taiwan’s highest mountain found dead after 6-day search and rescue operation

searcher in Taiwan's Central mountain range
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

The bodies of a couple who went missing while hiking on Yushan (Mount Jade) 9 days ago were found at the bottom of a slope below the south peak this morning, Tuesday, March 12. Zhang Zhongyi and his wife Wang Mingli, both 55 years old, were last seen at the Yuanfeng Cabin when they left to climb the south peak on the morning of March 3. Other mountain climbers reported them missing on March 5 after they did not return

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Baby boy suspected of suffocating to death after daycare center forces him to wear facemask

pictures of baby who died of suspected suffocation
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Police are investigating the death of an eleven-month-old boy who is suspected to have suffocated to death after being forced to wear a facemask against his will at a childcare center in New Taipei City, Monday. “Tonight, a cute baby returned to heaven to be an angel. I feel extremely heavy-hearted,” CTS news anchor Lin Yen-ju (林彥汝) posted on Facebook last night, Tuesday, after receiving the news from a personal friend, who is also the boy’s maternal aunt. According to

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Electric bicycle vendor charged for negligent homicide after battery explosion leads to death of elderly woman

tricycle after battery fire
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , , ,

An electric bicycle vendor in New Taipei City has been indicted on charges of negligent homicide, after an investigation into the death of an elderly woman who was seriously injured when a lithium-ion battery exploded under the seat of a tricycle she was riding earlier this year. According to the investigation by the New Taipei District Prosecutor’s Office, a man named Chen purchased an electric tricycle from a vendor at the Chongxin Bridge Flea Market in Sanchong District on December

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Hornets nest removed after 4 hikers stung in New Taipei City mountain district

Asian giant hornets and nest
Animals Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , , ,

Specialist hornet catchers removed a nest of Asian Giant Hornets, after five hikers were stung in New Taipei City’s Ruifang District today. Keelung City Fire Department received a report at 10:46 am that three men and one woman were stung by hornets near the Tianwaitian Garden Cemetery. A 70-year-old man, a 64-year-old man, and a 60-year-old woman were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. A 69-year-old man sought medical treatment on his own. The female hiker, named Liu was the

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Hornet attack on hiking group leaves 2 dead, 9 injured

line of ambulances waiting for sting victims
Animals Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Eleven people in a group of 20 hikers were stung by hornets in New Taipei City’s Ruifang District today, and four people were seriously injured. Two men lost vital signs and were declared dead after arrival at the hospital. The New Taipei City Fire Department received reports of the hornet attack at 11:38 am. Twenty ambulances and 51 personnel were dispatched to the trailhead. A command post was set up at the trailhead, and a rescue team was sent to

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Police station evacuated after man walks in with unexploded wartime bomb

man holding unexploded wartime mortar bomb
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Police evacuated their station and called army bomb disposal experts after a man walked in with an unexploded bomb unearthed on a nearby worksite in Changhua County Wednesday, September 13. According to reports, workers clearing a site for a landscape improvement project in Hemei Township dug up an unexploded military bomb on Wednesday afternoon. As the worksite was just 20 meters away from the Zhongliao Police Station, the site supervisor decided to pick the unexploded ordnance up and take it

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