Phnom Penh: Prime Minister Hun Sen has told all the ministries in the government and other institutions in the country to stop requesting for AstraZeneca booster shots. He made his announcement on Monday afternoon after his office was bombarded with a lot of requests from different ministries in the kingdom requesting for booster shots for their workers. He says, “Don’t keep requesting from me. Please be patient. Wait until the Ministry of Health gives you a schedule. Our priority is the frontline workers. I am the chairman of the Covid-19 working group. So, I will be the one to decide.”

The Prime Minister said that the country does not have enough supply of the AstraZeneca vaccines to boost those who have been fully vaccinated with Sinopharm and Sinovac. He says that with the supply received by the country from the donations of Japan and the United Kingdom, these will be inoculated to the armies, doctors serving as frontline workers in the borders, and other health personnel. He has also included the veterans and athletes as part of the priority group that should be given with the booster shots.

He has highlighted, "We have not studied the gap between the first, second and the third dose with the AstraZeneca vaccine. We have only studied the interval for the Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines. The Royal Government as well as the Ministry of Health have not yet received booster shots."

Prime Minister Hun Sen has added that considering how many people have been fully vaccinated in the kingdom, more AstraZeneca vaccines are needed. However, he says that the Royal Government is only using what’s available and therefore, will be given to the people who need it the most to prevent themselves from the virus, especially the Delta variant.