China donates 10 mln COVID-19 vaccine doses to Myanmar

YANGON -- China has donated 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines along with 13 million COVID-19 vaccine syringes and two mobile laboratory vehicles to Myanmar, according to a statement from the Chinese embassy in Myanmar on Sunday.

The Chinese embassy handed them over to Myanmar's Ministry of Health at the Yangon International Airport on Sunday.

The China-donated COVID-19 vaccines and syringes arrived in Myanmar in separate batches starting from May 18 to May 29.

China has been continuously providing medical supplies to Myanmar in fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, and has helped Myanmar in filling and packing COVID-19 vaccines to boost the country's vaccination rate, Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Chen Hai said at the handover ceremony.

Myanmar's Union Minister for Health Thet Khaing Win expressed thanks for China's donation.

The currently-donated COVID-19 vaccines will be used in the inoculation of children aged five to 12 years old, and the two mobile laboratory vehicles will be used at the country's border checkpoints, Thet said.

The friendly cooperation between Myanmar and China will contribute to epidemic prevention and control as well as the socio-economic development of both countries, Thet said.

Myanmar has already administered vaccination to more than 92 percent of its adult population aged 18 years and above, Thet added.

As of May 24, Myanmar has fully vaccinated more than 26.11 million people, or roughly 47 percent of the population, against COVID-19 in the country, official data showed.

As of Saturday, Myanmar confirmed 613,298 cases of COVID-19 and 19,434 related deaths, official data showed.