Three million doses of the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine will be shipped to Cambodia on September 24, while another three million will touch down early next week.

They are part of the total nine million doses slated to arrive in the Kingdom this month – six million purchased by the Cambodian government and three million donated by China.

Ministry of Health secretary of state York Sambath said the arrival was just ahead of the start of booster shots for the public and while children aged 6-11 are getting vaccinated.

She said the second shipment will arrive on September 26 or 27 while the three million doses pledged by Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi will arrive this month as well.

The ministry has announced that the booster shot campaign for people aged 18 and over will kick off on October 11, starting in Phnom Penh before expanding nationwide.

According to the ministry, as of September 22 Cambodia had vaccinated 98.53 per cent of the target adult population of 10 million and 88.55 per cent of the 12-17 age group of nearly two million.

It said 56.49 per cent of the 6-11 age group of more than 1.8 million had also been vaccinated.

Nearly 850,000 people had so far received their booster shot.

Separately, the Kantha Bopha Jayavarman VII in Siem Reap province said that on September 21, doctors at its obstetric department saved the lives of six Covid-19-positive women by delivering their babies successfully.