Phnom Penh: The Ministry of Health has vaccinated the 4-millionth Cambodian. This means it is already 40% of the way to its target of inoculating 10-million adults by the 4th quarter. The announcement was made by Health Ministry spokesperson, Ms. Or Vandine, on Monday morning.

It came as another million doses of Sinovac touched down at Phnom Penh International Airport and there are millions of additional doses still on the way. Secretary of State for the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Mr. Vongsey Vissoth, has said Cambodia has spent $170-million on 20-million doses of vaccine that will have been delivered by the end of August. He says to date, the country has received 300-thousand free doses of vaccine from the Covax Facility as well as 2.2-million free doses from the Chinese government. All other doses have been bought by the Royal Government, with the help of the private sector.

Mr. Vongsey Vissoth says a third “booster” shot for adults is being studied, along with the possibility of vaccines for children. A meeting will be held in this regard with the Ministry of Health, but he has stressed that the focus of Cambodia’s vaccination drive, for now, remains everyone over the age of 18.