Inoculations reach half of Cambodians as vaccine diplomacy intensifies

PHNOM PENH: Cambodia has administered at least one coronavirus vaccine dose to half of its population, among the highest rates in Asia, official data showed on Wednesday, with vaccine diplomacy playing a key part in its success.

Cambodia, an ally of China and one of Asia's poorest countries, started inoculations with Chinese-made vaccines in February, while millions of doses provided by the United States, Japan and Britain have arrived in recent weeks. Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday said Cambodia should reach the 10 million people targeted for vaccination about seven or eight months earlier than planned. Of Cambodia's more than 16 million people, 8.3 million have received at least one dose, while 6.4 million of those have received both required shots.