The Royal Government of Cambodia will start a large-scale nationwide vaccination campaign against COVID-19 in the near future, said Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen in a special voice message this morning.

Samdech Techo Hun Sen said medical team from Phnom Penh will be dispatched to provinces for the forthcoming large-scale vaccination programme.

At least 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be administered to people per month, he underlined, adding that more vaccines will arrive in Cambodia consecutively.

The Royal Government of Cambodia has planned at least 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for the vaccination campaign in 2021, as orders for more vaccines have been placed.

Speaking to reporters after presiding over a ceremony to receive 1.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine (Sinovac) from China at the Phnom Penh International Airport last Friday, H.E. Vongsey Vissoth, Permanent Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economy and Finance said that the Royal Government of Cambodia has enough funds to buy COVID-19 vaccines from China and other countries to give to the Cambodian people for free.

According to H.E. Secretary of State, Cambodia planned to buy 4 million more doses of Sinovac from China and is in negotiation to purchase Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines from U.S. company.

For his part, H.E. Wang Wentian, Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia, affirmed that the Chinese government and people will continue to support Cambodia in the fight against the coronavirus.

Cambodia has already received 1.5 million doses of Sinovac, 600,000 doses of the 1 million Sinopharm vaccine donated by China, and 324,000 doses of AstraZeneca/SII donated by WHO via COVAX Facility.