Following Prime Minister Hun Sen’s order to accelerate Covid-19 vaccination drives across the country, progress seems to be back on track with the milestone of nine million adults vaccinated reached on August 28.

Or Vandine, Ministry of Health spokeswoman and head of the national Covid-19 vaccination committee, said on August 29 that vaccinations for the target adult population of 10 million will be completed in September.

Vandine made the remarks while handling over Hun Sen’s gift of 10 million riel ($2,500) to the Kingdom’s nine-millionth vaccinee, a 76-year-old woman living in Tbong Khmum province’s O’Reang-ou district, on August 29.

She said if progress continues to go well, then the goal of 10 million adults vaccinated will be reached in three or four weeks through the efforts of the provincial authorities.

Vaccinations had slowed in recent weeks with an average of just 0.3 per cent progress being made each day, prompting Hun Sen to issue a warning that provincial governors would be held accountable for any failures.

According to the health ministry’s daily report, the vaccination progress rate has increased in recent days.

The percentage of vaccinations for the adult population was 88.74 on August 26 and 89.42 on August 27, indicating an increase of 0.68 per cent. On August 28, the total percentage was 90.12, representing an uptick of 0.70 per cent.

Cambodia has also been vaccinating the 12-17 age group of nearly two million, reaching 69.47 per cent as of August 29.

In total, the government has vaccinated around 65 per cent of the country's population of 16 million.

The ministry expects that the goal of the nearly 12 million vaccinated will be reached by the end of October or early November.

The government also issued a three-page instruction manual on vaccinations on August 28.

“All municipal and provincial governors have to concentrate their attention and efforts on combating and preventing the Covid-19 pandemic as their core work and set it at the highest priority.

“They have to achieve the vaccination of local people under their jurisdiction soon. Vaccinations are the key strategy of the government in the fight against this disease,” he said.

The prime minister also told the governors to clearly and quickly update the number of people who have received the vaccines and those who have not.

“Before deciding to conclude vaccination campaign in each locality and move to another location, authorities have to notify the public about preparedness to wrap it up,” he said, giving a chance for those who have not received the jabs to do so before the campaign ends.

Should there still be people left unvaccinated, the Covid-19 vaccination commissions and governors shall work together to determine vaccination sites for people, either at referral hospitals in towns and districts or at health centres, he said.

Hun Sen emphasised that people do not have to worry about getting a third dose at this time as the government will administer the booster shot to everyone once another five million vaccine doses arrive in September as expected.

“[Currently] third doses are for a limited number of frontline officials and forces . . . But don’t worry, we will give third doses to everyone, which is close to 12 million people. Five million doses of vaccines for third doses will arrive in September,” he said on August 28.

Vandine also said that Cambodia has so far received 25 million vaccine doses including donations and purchases. In early September, another two million doses of the Sinovac vaccines will arrive.

“These two million doses, which were scheduled to arrive in late August but have been postponed to early September, bring the total to more than 27 million. Most of the vaccines have been distributed throughout the country. We’ve stored only a small amount,” she said.

According to Vandine, nearly 100 centenarians aged 100 to 114 have also voluntarily received Covid-19 jabs.