The first batch of 100,000 doses of a Covid-19 vaccine have arrived in Macau from China.
Plans were to administer the Sinopharm vaccine, developed by the China National Pharmaceutical Group, in two shots beginning February 9, meaning that 50,000 residents would be the first to receive it on a voluntary basis at no charge, with front-line health care workers, firefighters, police officers, public transport drivers and other high-risk occupations topping the list.
Casino employees who work in direct contact with customers could also be among the first to receive it.
The efficacy rate of the vaccine, which also has been introduced into Turkey, Indonesia and Brazil, is believed to be around 80 percent with little or no side effects.
Another 300,000 doses are being prepared for shipment to Macau, along with 400,000 doses each of vaccines developed by BioNTech and AstraZeneca.
Macau has reported 48 cases of the potentially deadly virus to date, the latest being a 30-year-old asymptomatic man who arrived from Portugal via Tokyo and was placed initially in 21-day quarantine then moved to a hospital for treatment earlier this month.
