President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday thanked parents who took their children to be vaccinated against COVID-19, in a speech marking the Dragon Boat Festival.
Tsai wished Taiwanese good health in the YouTube video, acknowledging the hardships that people have faced over the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Let’s keep fighting,” she said. “We can definitely overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic.”
Photo: Ko Yu-hao, Taipei Times
Taiwan has acquired 1.1088 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children, enough for the 990,000 children who can receive them, she added.
The central government has been working with local governments to set up stations to increase the vaccination coverage rate, she said, adding that the six special municipalities between them have seven vaccination stations for children.
The president also thanked medical personnel and frontline healthcare workers who are helping with vaccine administration during the long weekend.
As Taiwan is facing a crucial stage of fighting COVID-19, Taiwanese must continue to comply with disease prevention measures: “receive vaccinations, take care and protect Taiwan,” Tsai said.
Separately yesterday, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) toured the vaccination stations set up for children aged five to 11 at the National Museum of Natural Science in Taichung, the Tainan Public Main Library and the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center.
He was accompanied by Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) and Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) at the Kaoshiung station.
Su thanked the medical and administrative staff at the station, saying that they had sacrificed their holiday to help with vaccinations, with 16,300 children getting jabs in two days.
Taiwan is facing the most crucial stage of the battle against COVID-19 before returning to normal life, he said, adding that people must remain patient and cooperative.
Su, Chen Shih-chung and Chen Chi-mai handed out balloons to children who answered questions such as: “What did you come here for?” and “What should you wear while outside?”
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