Myanmar is employing three ways to get a Covid-19 vaccine and doses for three percent of the population will arrive in the initial stage in the second quarter of 2021, said Professor Dr Saw Win of the vaccination technical advisory team of the Ministry of Health and Sports.  

“Any of the vaccines have yet to be recognized by the World Health Organization. Those available now are emergence use for the UK and US. In our country also, FDA registration is needed. But we can use them if we want to. We have three ways to get vaccines. One is a COVAX Facility called GAVI formed with vaccine providers. They include many vaccine manufacturing companies and many countries. In the first quarter of 2021, they will do the registration process. In the second quarter, three percent doses are due to arrive in our country. Seventeen percent will come by that year. If we buy from them, the price is cheap. We are considering buying 20 percent more. We have no choice,” the professor said. 

The government has set a target to vaccinate 40 percent of the total population against Covid-19 in 2021 and procure the vaccine for the remaining 60 percent in 2022 and 2023, according to the Ministry of Health and Sports.  

“Another way is that we have talked with vaccine manufacturing countries such as India, China and Russia. We can get vaccines from them no matter what they will donate or sell. The ministry will decide based on the suggestions of ours and Central EPI. The third way is that all vaccine manufacturing companies will be first distributing the vaccines in their motherlands. For international distribution, vaccines may come through private companies. If they arrive, we have to be vaccinated according to the private market price. 

"It is best if we receive them as early as possible. Quality is also necessary. We have to depend on our available resources,” said Dr Saw Win.  

The United State with the highest Covid-19 death rate started vaccination on December 14.