Health Minister Chen Shih-chung has been in the spotlight over the past week. On Monday the dentist-turned-politician was forced to issue a firm denial that Taiwan has purchased doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. That followed media reports that Taiwan had reached a deal with the US for over 100,000 doses. Those reports claimed that Taiwan would receive the vaccine on Thursday.

Chen currently serves as the head of Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center. He condemned the media reports in no uncertain terms, saying that such false information would weaken Taiwan’s position in future negotiations to purchase vaccines.