Phnom Penh: Cambodia’s rollout of booster shots to the general population has begun in 11 of Phnom Penh’s 14 districts. The third dose of Covid-19 vaccine is an attempt to bolster immunity in the kingdom, while the government considers when to fully reopen the economy and the country’s borders.

The first and second dose campaign has been an incontestable success. 11.5 million of the country’s 16 million people have already been fully-vaccinated. Now, the Government is officially taking one step further to achieving a “new normal”, with the booster shot campaign rolling out first in Phnom Penh.

The campaign was officially launched on Monday by Defence Minister, Tea Banh, who said the booster shots will “create a truly strong community immunity" especially against infections of the Delta variant. He added that booster shots will make the Covid-19 situation in the Country even more controlled. Health workers will receive help from the military in getting booster shots into arms. More than 3,500 troops are joining 152 medical teams across the capital.

Vaccinated adults must have been fully-vaccinated at least 4 months before they can receive their booster shot. They are also being reminded by the Health Ministry to continue practicing the “3 do’s and 3 don’ts”. Officials say this is the only way to maintain a strong defense against Covid, and allow for a full reopening of the economy.

^{PHOTO: TVK}