[Myanmar] First batch of COVID vaccines from India arrives, 750 thousand to be vaccinated first

In her speech on 23rd  Jan. evening regarding the latest developments of COVID-19, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said, " Since there are one million and five hundred thousand doses it will be sufficient for seven hundred and fifty thousand of our people. Each person will have to be jabbed twice. It will be 28 days after the first jab ".    

The State Counsellor said that those given priority  to be dispensed with the vaccine are health workers,  important members of the government, and members of parliament. She surmises that vaccines will be dispensed to them next week.     

The State Counsellor said, " Health workers, our people that are at the vanguard giving their service, and secondly, those in the governing body will be given the vaccine. In so saying I feel a little bad as I am included in that group ".     

The State Counsellor further said that depending on when we get further vaccines they will be dispensed, and that it was not possible to say when the vaccines will arrive.    

The  State Counsellor also said, " We will lay plans to give priority to important sectors for the state to function normally. We will keep the people informed after we have laid out our plans. We will let the people know to whom we and why we  are giving priority".    

She further said it is necessary for us not to be lax because we have the vaccine. It is necessary for us to follow all the disciplinary procedures for the prevention of COVID-19.The vaccine is to be dispensed twice to each person. Twenty eight days after the first jab the second will have to be dispensed. The vaccine could be in the trial process in the entire world.    

She said, " We don't know exactly the effectiveness of the vaccine. It is on a trial process globally. We are testing it. We are testing how effective it is  and for how long. These cannot be answered for certain.  That is why even after having taken the vaccine one has to take care of one's health. Be wary. Do not be slack ".    

The State Counsellor also said that the  State had allotted a billion kyats for the vaccine. With the co-operation of well wishers and donors the entire amount has reached to 18.781 billion kyats. She said that she guarantees that there will not be any misappropriation of the donations.     

The State Counsellor  said that the amount of money will be fitfully used to safeguard the health of the general public and to provide vaccines to prevent COVID-19.  There will not be any misappropriation.    

The COVID-19 drug COVID Shield purchased from India, and the drugs Pfizer/BioNtech to be got by allotments from COVAX Facility group will arrive within a hundred  days from the start of 2021.