Phnom Penh: As Cambodia vaccinated its eight millionth adult on Tuesday, the kingdom’s target of achieving herd immunity is getting closer. The Royal Government has targeted the full inoculation of at least 10 million adults and two million children before November. The Prime Minister has said that 80% of the population will be fully vaccinated six to eight months ahead of schedule.

For child vaccinations alone, as of Wednesday, the government has already administered the first dose to 359,094 children between the ages of 12 and 17. Adult vaccination first-shots have reached 8.38 million people. That is 80.38% of the 10 million target. When looking at the kingdom’s total population of 16 million, that’s 52.48%. Of the 10 million target, almost 65% of adults have been fully-vaccinated.

Prime Minister Hun Sen says the journey towards the 10-million target does not have far to go. He is positive that the kingdom will achieve the target months ahead of schedule. He has also congratulated the eight millionth adult to get vaccinated – 56-year-old Thoeung Tha from Stung Treng province got the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. She receives a cash reward of around $2,500.

With the vaccination programs going so well, Cambodia has started to roll-out AstraZeneca booster shots to frontline workers in border provinces who were initially vaccinated with either Sinovac or Sinopharm. Booster shots for frontline workers in Phnom Penh will begin on Thursday.