Three million doses of the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine that Cambodia has procured from China touched down at Phnom Penh International Airport on September 24.

Ministry of Health secretary of state York Sambath told reporters on September 23 that they are part of the nine million doses slated to arrive from China this month, with the next shipment of three million expected on September 26 or 27 and the remaining three million by month's end. Of the nine million shots, six million are purchased by Cambodia and three million donated by the Chinese government.

During the handover at the airport on September 24, Sambath said: “So far, Cambodia has acquired a total 35.5 million doses already. The jabs that arrived today will be administered to children aged 6-11 in the next few days and will be used as booster shots as well,” she said.

Sambath said although much of the Kingdom's population has been vaccinated, Covid-19, especially its highly contagious Delta variant, remains a threat with cases surging in the capital, Siem Reap province and other parts of the country. She called on the public to maintain vigilance to avoid a large-scale outbreak.