COVID-19 vaccinations for those between the ages of 12 and 17-years-old will begin on August 1, said Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen.
Reports in the Phnom Penh Post said he will also bring along his grandchildren aged 12 - 17 for the campaign which kicks off at Calmette Hospital here.
Other senior officials will also follow. The vaccination plans for children was first announced on July 16 by the premier, for which an additional four million vaccine doses were procured for about two million children.
"There is a need to vaccinate children and youths aged 12 to 17. According to the statistics provided by (Minister of Economy and Finance) Aun Pornmoniroth, there are ... around two million children and youths, so we need around four million more doses.
"I appeal to all parents and caretakers to get ready to bring their children to get the vaccines soon. We want to achieve herd immunity which will enable us to reopen the economy, especially schools which we have closed and permitted only distance learning. This is a loss for us," he said.
The vaccination campaign for children will start with Phnom Penh and the provinces of Kandal and Preah Sihanouk, deemed as the country's main Covid-19 hotspots.
Ministry of Health spokeswoman York Sambath told reporters at Phnom Penh International Airport on July 22 that the government had placed purchase orders for five million doses to vaccinate the 12-17 age group, with their shipment expected to arrive in August and September.