1st batch of China's COVID-19 vaccines arrives in Cambodia
A special plane carrying the first batch of China-donated COVID-19 vaccines arrived on Sunday.
Workers prepare to transfer the China-donated Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines at the Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Feb. 7, 2021. A chartered flight carrying the first batch of the China-donated Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Cambodia on Sunday, welcomed by Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen at the Phnom Penh International Airport. (Photo by Gao Bingnan/Xinhua)
VACCINATION CAMPAIGN
"Vaccines are a key strategic solution that can ensure people's lives, improve long-term public health, and guarantee the overall recovery of economic and social activities," Hun Sen said.
The Sinopharm vaccine, he added, has been recognized as a safe and effective vaccine, and it has been approved for use by many countries.
According to the prime minister, a vaccination drive will begin on Feb. 10 in the country, with prioritized groups composed of doctors and nurses, the armed forces, teachers, journalists, tuk-tuk and taxi drivers, and garbage collectors, among others.
He said the country plans to inoculate approximately 10 million people, or about 60 percent of the population.
Cambodia on Thursday authorized the emergency use of the Sinopharm vaccine, saying that "the vaccine is used safely in China and other countries."
The Southeast Asian nation has so far registered a total of 474 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with zero deaths and 454 recoveries, according to its Ministry of Health.
