PHNOM PENH, Feb 24 (NNN-AKP) – Cambodia yesterday began inoculating children aged three and four against COVID-19, with China’s Sinovac vaccine, amid a surge in daily cases of the Omicron variant.
A lot of kids, assisted by their parents or legal guardians, were seen waiting for their first dose at vaccination sites in the capital, Phnom Penh, as the inoculation drive targets roughly 700,000 children at this age group, across the kingdom.
Speaking after having her 3-year-old girl vaccinated at an inoculation site in the capital’s Pochentong Referral Hospital, Touch Sreyroth, 30, said, she is delighted for this age group to be eligible for vaccination against the virus.
“I’m very happy that my little girl received her first shot today (yesterday), because I had waited for this time for several months,” she said. “I believe that vaccine can protect my daughter against the COVID-19, especially the Omicron variant.”
Sreyroth said, as a mother, she’s always worried about her daughter’s safety, but she feels relieved now, after her little girl received the jab.
Ek Chantha, a 37-year-old mother, said, Chinese vaccines have not only protected Cambodian people’s lives but also helped the country reopen its socio-economic activities in all areas, with confidence.
“A friend in need is a friend indeed. China, thank you for supplying vaccines to Cambodia. We will remember this help forever, and thank the Cambodian government for providing vaccines to us free of charge,” she said after having her little son inoculated.
Cambodian government spokesman, Phay Siphan said, Cambodia and China have been standing together through thick and thin, adding that, the joint COVID-19 fight should serve as a role model for cooperation between countries.
Cambodian health ministry’s secretary of state and spokeswoman, Or Vandine said, each child has to be given two doses of the Sinovac vaccine 28 days apart.
Meanwhile, she urged people to continue caution as the Omicron variant is widely circulating in the country.
“It is not a flu disease and our complacency will create a good environment for the virus to attack our bodies,” she wrote on social media. “3 dos + 3 don’ts + COVID-19 vaccinations will save life, reduce disease severity, hospitalisation, and death.”
As of Tuesday, the nation administered at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccines to 14.4 million people aged five and older, or 90 percent of the country’s 16-million population, the health ministry said.
Of them, 13.82 million, or 86.4 percent, had been fully vaccinated with two required shots, 6.47 million, or 40.4 percent, had taken a third dose or booster shot, and 858,739, or 5.3 percent, had got a fourth dose, the ministry added.
The kingdom yesterday registered 558 new COVID-19 cases, all were confirmed to be the Omicron, with one new death, the ministry said, adding that, to date, the country had recorded a total of 128,133 cases, with 121,553 recoveries and 3,023 deaths.– NNN-AKP
