Myanmar to receive 6 million Covid vaccine doses from China by August

Myanmar to receive 6 million Covid vaccine doses from China by August
Published 15 July 2021

Myanmar is set to receive six million Covid-19 vaccines from China by August, according to the Ministry of Health and Sports.

The first one million doses would arrive during the last week of July. Three Million doses are expected to arrive by the first week of August. China is also expected to donate an additional two million does in August.

On Wednesday, Myanmar reported more than 7,000 new cases, up from fewer than 50 per day in early May as the country struggles to deal with the surge in new variants.

In recent days, hundreds have queued for oxygen supplies across the commercial capital Yangon and the second city of Mandalay.

Over 4,100 have died from the virus in Myanmar, according to official figures, although analysts say the true toll is likely higher.

Around 1.75 million people have so far been vaccinated in the country of 54 million, according to authorities.

Earlier this month, state media reported that Senior General Min Aung Hlaing had agreed to buy two million vaccines from Russia -- another major ally -- without specifying which shot.

Myanmar's creaking healthcare system had struggled to respond to Covid even before the takeover.

Swathes of the country were put under partial lockdown last year, although enforcement was often lax in the developing nation where many face a stark choice between following regulations and feeding their families.

-AFP, MOHS