1st batch of COVID-19 vaccine arrives in Myanmar's Yangon

2021-01-22 11:35:59 GMT2021-01-22 19:35:59(Beijing Time) Xinhua English

YANGON, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of COVID-19 vaccines arrived at Myanmar's Yangon International Airport on Friday afternoon.

On the government-to-government basis, a total of 1.5 million doses of the Covishield vaccine, manufactured by Serum Institute of India (SII), arrived in the country and were handed over to the Medical Research Department under Myanmar's Ministry of Health and Sports.

Dr. Tun Myint, deputy director-general of Yangon Region's Public Health Department, said the vaccines, which will be enough for 750,000 people, will be transported to the central cool chain room and distributed to regions and states starting Saturday morning.

The priority groups to get inoculated include frontline health workers, volunteers, key members of the union government and members of the Union Parliament as well as high-risk groups, the elderly and people with underlying diseases, and people residing in places with high density of population, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi told the public on Thursday.

The vaccines will be given in two doses and the first dose is expected to be given next week while the second dose will follow 28 days after the first shot, she said.

According to the latest figures by the Health and Sports Ministry, Myanmar has reported 136,166 COVID-19 positive cases with 3,013 deaths as of Thursday night.

The first infection of COVID-19 was detected in the country on March 23 last year. Enditem

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