QCOSTARICA – Kristhel Araya Tardensilla spent the morning of her birthday, her 12th this Monday, October 25, on the run in order to get vaccinated against covid-19.
Kristhel acknowledged that it was a very special birthday for her, since she got up early to have breakfast with her mother, Doña Diana Tardensilla; her father, Don Reinaldo Araya, and her little brother, Eythan (7 years old).
Shortly after, dad left for work, while Kristhel, with her mother and brother, left for the first stop of this important day, the Registro Civil (Civil Registry).
Doña Diana told La Teja they arrived at the Registro around 9:40 aam and in less than 15 minutes they had the Tarjeta de Identidad de Menores (TIM) – the cedula for minors.
Immediately, they left for the next stop, the Hospital de Niños (Children’s Hospital) on the other side of downtown San Jose.
At 10:50 am they were already lining up, agitated by the frantic morning, but super happy because seconds before a hospital worker and had given them the ‘ficha’ (token), so Kristhel was guaranteed that she was going to be vaccinated on this first day of the vaccination program for minors from 12 to 17 years of age.
“We are very happy to have run so much because she is finally going to get vaccinated. This day is very special for us because of her birthday and because the vaccine against covid-19 is health, it is life,” said Doña Diana.
Kristhel, for her part, was calm and anxious about her jab.
“I have been very well informed about the covid-19 vaccine and the truth is a very nice birthday present that I can get it. We previously tried it at the Alajuelita clinic, but it was not possible.
“I have no fear, of course, there is always a little scare from the jab, but I think it is normal, it has nothing to do with the vaccine itself. It really is a birthday that I will not forget: my first TIM and being able to vaccinate myself against the pandemic that has caused so much damage,” commented Kristhel to La Teja.
Around noon, with little brother Eythan beside her, because he did not want to miss any of it, Kristhel received her first dose against covid-19.
“I didn’t even feel when they put it on me,” said Kristhel, who lives in La Aurora de Alajuelita and who studies at Los Pinos de Alajuelita school.
Shortly after the vaccination, the family left to continue their day, celebrating Kristhel’s birthday.
Minors in the crosshairs
The Children’s Hospital was not the only center for vaccination of minors on Monday. The Hospital México, for its part, confirmed that between this Monday and Friday, October 29, they expect to vaccinate 300 minors between 12 and 17 years old daily.
On the first day, 180 doses were applied.
In Cartago, the health area is using the Fello Meza stadium to vaccinate youths. Like the other vaccination centers, fichas are handed out to match the number of doses on hand for the day, to avoid people from the central canton of Cartago and the other communities of the province, lining up for not.
Article was originally published in Spanish in La Teja and translated and adapted by the Q
