PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen has urged all citizens to get the third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to further strengthen the collective immune system of the local community. He said that Cambodia currently has more than 10 million doses of vaccines left in stock, which can be given to all citizens in the country.

Speaking at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh during the handover ceremony of over 1 million AstraZeneca vaccines arriving from Italy on Monday morning (25 April), Prime Minister Hun Sen said that citizens must receive a minimum of at least three doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, in order to strengthen immunity against the virus and to make it safer and more feasible to lift mask-wearing restrictions.

The Prime Minister said during his speech, "I want to send a message to the citizens who have not yet received the third dose, you must come to get vaccinated at wherever there is a vaccination site. It is not necessary that those who come from Stung Treng have to get vaccinated in Stung Treng, you can also get your vaccine in Phnom Penh, and our doctors everywhere, as long as there are people coming to receive their vaccinations, doctors must give the vaccines to our citizens."

According to the Prime Minister, more than 6.6 million Cambodians have not yet received a third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

On Sunday (24 April), Prime Minister Hun Sen sent a special voice message in which he ordered the Ministry of Health and all relevant departments to launch a third dose vaccination campaign for people who are most at risk, and also encouraged all citizens to participate in this campaign.

Cambodia launched its national vaccination campaign on 10 February 2021, and as of 24 April 2022, approximately 14.1 million people have received their two base doses of the vaccine, while around 8.2 million people have received at least a third dose.

^{PHOTO: EAC NEWS}