The government of Malaysia has donated some 283,400 doses of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines to Laos as part of assistance for the country in the fight against the virus.
The vaccines arrived on Wednesday evening at Wattay International Airport and will be used as part of Laos’ efforts to fully vaccinate 70 percent of the population by the end of the year.
A handover ceremony was held at Wattay Airport between Dr. Bounfeng Phommalaysith, Lao Minister of Health, and Ms. Rafiqa Hazura Md Ridzuan, Head of Chancery at the Malaysian Embassy to Laos.
The vaccines are to be used as part of a new round of immunizations aimed at people of all ages under the National Deployment and Vaccination Plan.
Malaysian Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said that his ministry hopes the contribution will help the efforts of the Lao government curb the spread of Covid-19 and increase the vaccination rate.
“The Malaysian government, through its Ministry of Health and Wisma Putra (Foreign Ministry) will continue to identify and assist countries that have recorded low vaccination rates through the provision of Covid-19 vaccine donations,” he said in a statement quoted by Straits Times.
Malaysia itself has received a total of 2,913,790 donated vaccine doses from Japan, the United States of America, China, and the United Kingdom.
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