One million Chinese Covid-19 jabs to start rolling in from Feb
THE government has confirmed that Covid19 vaccines from China are set to begin arriving in Cambodia by February. This came as the Ministry of Health recorded two imported cases of Covid-19 on January 18.
While calling on people to remain vigilant against the pandemic, ministry spokeswoman Or Vandine announced on January 19 that an initial shipment of the vaccine, produced by the Chinese
company Sinopharm, will contain 300,000 doses.
Vandine added that the injection is purportedly 79.34 per cent effective, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) is slated to complete its assessments of the vaccine for approval in the near future.
On January 15, Prime Minister Hun Sen announced that the Chinese government had extended an offer through the ministries of Health and National Defence to provide for Cambodia one million doses of their locally produced vaccine.
Such a supply would facilitate vaccinations of 500,000 people through a two-stage procedure.
Hun Sen also declared that he would be inoculated first to demonstrate confidence in the vaccine once it arrives in the country.
On the two new imported cases, the ministry said one is being treated at the Banteay Meanchey Provincial Referral Hospital and the other has been admitted to the National Centre for Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control in Phnom Penh.
“These two new Covid-19 patients include a one-yearold Indonesian boy from Siem Reap. He is the son of a 34year-old man and a 33-year-old woman who were diagnosed with Covid-19 on January 13.
“The other is a 31-yearold Cambodian migrant from O’Ambel commune’s Kourothan village in Banteay Meanchey province’s Sisophon town. She arrived from Thailand on January 15.”
The latest cases bring the Kingdom’s total Covid-19 tally to 441, with 386 recoveries.