Cambodia vaccinates 50% of target population against COVID-19

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) – Cambodia on Tuesday completed vaccination of 50% of its targeted 10 million population against the coronavirus.

Prime Minister Hun Sen announced on his Facebook account that Sen Som Ou Svay, a 70-year-old farmer, was the 5 millionth Cambodian to receive the jab.

The farmer belongs to Sen Sam village of Trapaing Prasat district, northwestern Oddar Meanchey province.

He will receive around $2,500 and other donations from prime minister like the first, second, third, and fourth millionth.

Hun Sen said Cambodia had covered 50% of the planned 10 million people for the vaccination.

The Southeast Asian nation has reported 62,700 cases of coronavirus, including 953 deaths.

With a budget of $170 million to purchase vaccines, Cambodia has so far received over 12 million doses of vaccines, including 4.2 million doses of Sinopharm, 7.5 million doses of Sinovac, and 324,000 doses of AstraZeneca under COVAX, a global vaccine-sharing facility. China also donated 2.2 million doses of Sinopharm to the country.

Japan has also announced to ship one million vaccines to the country in coming days.