Foreigners in Cambodia to get free Covid vaccine: Ministry

Phnom Penh, Feb 25 (IANS) Cambodia has said that all the foreign nationals living or working in the country will be given free Covid vaccine in due course.

"All the foreigners who are currently residing and working in Cambodia will be vaccinated free of cost once the nation launches its inoculation drive," said a Foreign Ministry's letter sent to Diplomatic Missions and the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Phnom Penh.

"The relevant vaccination details and procedures for the aforementioned foreign nationals will be provided in due course," the letter said.

The Southeast Asian country launched an anti-Covid-19 immunisation programme on February 10 after receiving the first batch of the Sinopharm vaccine from China, Xinhua reported.

The priority groups to get the jabs include healthcare personnel, government members and officials, senate and parliament members and officials, municipal and provincial governors, armed forces, police and journalists, among others.

According to an official report, as of Tuesday evening, a total of 44,505 people including 5,766 women had been inoculated with the vaccine.