The 12th round of vaccinations kicked off on Friday, with more than 2.93 million vaccine shots scheduled to be administered in coming days. With three different vaccine brands rolling out at the same time, local governments have taken additional precautions to ensure that everyone got the shot they signed up for. Capacity has also been expanded at vaccination sites to reduce wait times.


Friday was the first day of the 12th round of vaccinations. Though the weather did not make things any easier with a constant drizzle, operations at a vaccination site in New Taipei’s Sanchong District went smoothly.

Here at Sanchong Civil Sports Center, it’s mostly second doses of Moderna being given. Every day, about 1,900 people come in for a shot. It’s a lot of people, but staff at the site guide everyone to where they should be. Members of the public say getting the shot was a breeze.

Member of the public
The process was very smooth. Maybe because everyone was moving very fast. You come in, and the next moment you are at the front. Before, we had to wait so long sitting in rows. The nurse administered the vaccine very fast too.

Over at New Taipei’s largest vaccination site, the New Taipei City Exhibition Hall in Wugu, it’s mainly Pfizer going in arms. The site can administer around 5,500 vaccines in one day, double the previous capacity. Here, the city government has also taken measures to eliminate long waits.

Member of the public
I think it was OK. It was very fast. I barely felt the prick of the needle.

Member of the public
It’s been 15 minutes since I got my shot. I don’t feel anything strange.

The 12th round of vaccinations is the largest one yet, with three different vaccine brands rolling out. That’s 1.35 million Pfizer vaccines, 950,000 AstraZeneca shots, and 620,000 Moderna jabs. A total of 2.93 million people will be getting a shot. On Friday, some people turned up early at vaccination sites amid fears that there would be long waits. Fortunately, it was all over in the blink of an eye.

Member of the public
They just gave me this notice. I thought I had to go online and race for a spot. But in the end there was no need for that. I’ve heard some friends say that they were unable to register in Taipei, so some of them came here, to Sanchong to get their shots.

Local governments have all made different plans for the large operation. New Taipei expanded the number of vaccination sites, with each place focusing on one vaccine brand to prevent mishaps. In Taipei, AstraZeneca is administered at the Taipei Expo Dome vaccination site, Pfizer at hospitals and Moderna at local clinics. At the Taipei Expo Dome, 11,000 people were scheduled to receive a shot on the first day of the vaccination round. To prepare for the crowds, pathways were clearly delimited to reduce wait times and ensure everybody gets their shot.