Taguig City kicks off vax for kids 5-11 years old with cosplayers, puppet show

Photo from Taguig LGU

MANILA, Philippines — The Taguig local government on Monday launched its vaccination program for minors aged five to 11 residing or studying in the city.

The Taguig Vaccination Task Force led the inoculation of 5- to 11-year-old kids who pre-registered via the Taguig Registry for Access and Citizen Engagement (TRACE) app.

Currently, more than 9,000 children are pre-registered to receive the anti-coronavirus shot through the application.

Dr. Jennifer Lou De Guzman, head of the National Immunization Program of Taguig City, announced that the city government had vaccinated 180 children against COVID-19 in just two hours after the program for the particular set of minors opened on Monday morning.

Photo from Taguig LGU

“Sa loob lamang ng 2 oras meron na tayong 180 na nababakunahan at halos lahat sila ay masayang lumalabas pagka bakuna at naniniwala kami na nagbago ang persepsyon ng mga chikiting na ito sa pagababakuna,” she said in a statement issued by the local government.

(We have vaccinated 180 children in two hours, and the majority of them were happy after getting vaccinated and we believe that their perception about vaccination has changed.)

The city government also said it added new immunization sites at the SMX Convention Center-SM Aura and Lakeshore Vaccination Hub.

READ: COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 5-11 to be held in 6 sites

Cosplayers greeted the children at the vaccination center and were treated to a puppet show, among other activities. After vaccination, every vaccinee is handed a loot bag as a simple token for their bravery.

Taguig City Mayor Lino Cayetano declared that immunizing kids is an essential element of their preparations for the impending resumption of face-to-face classes.

Photo from Taguig LGU

“Here in Taguig, we strongly believe that vaccination is our strongest weapon to fight the virus. It is duly time to start the vaccination of our minors as this is important as we gradually open the schools for the face-to-face classes,” the mayor said in the same statement.

“We want to give our children the best education, and we have to protect them to be able to do this,” he added.

The pediatric COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 5 to 11 was supposed to start last February 4, but it was postponed by the Department of Health due to what it described as “logistical challenges.” — Jericho Zafra, trainee

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