'Cambodia not a dustbin for China': PM Hun Sen blasts Beijing over COVID-19 vaccine trials

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in a marathon speech lashed out on China by saying that Phnom Penh is “not a dustbin” for Beijing when it comes to vaccine trial. On December 15, Sen said that the first batch for COVID-19 will arrive in Cambodia from the United Nations’ (UN’s) COVAX program adding that the only doses he will trust as well as accept will be the ones approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO), reported ANI citing another media outlet.

“Cambodia is not a dustbin.. and not a place for a vaccine trial,” Hun Sen said.

As per media reports, Sen’s remarks came as the Cambodian government has till now collected $48 million in donations from the business tycoons allied to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP). These funds will be reportedly directed to the much-needed $200 million essential to purchase the vaccine doses for the population. Meanwhile, as Cambodian PM refused to carry out vaccine trials for China-developed COVID-19 vaccine candidates, Indonesia has already received the first batch of ‘Sinovac’ vaccine by a Chinese firm, Sinopharm. However, there is still no word from Chian if it sent any inoculations to its “ironclad friend” that is, Cambodia even though Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in August said that the mainland Southeast Asian states would be prioritised. 

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Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine triggers an allergic reaction

Meanwhile, as other nations ramp up approval of vaccines, a second health care worker in the United States' Alaska region has reported allergies after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The second worker had received the COVID-19 vaccine shot on December 16 and reported allergic reactions about 10 minutes after being injected. The first worker had received the shot on Tuesday and had reported similar but adverse reactions moments after being inoculated. the worker had to be admitted overnight. Both reactions occurred at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau, Alaska.  

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