People in the NMSP controlled area receive first vaccinations

September 21, 2021

HURFOM: In the second and third weeks of September, 2021, members and soldiers of the New Mon State Party (NMSP) and their family members, monks, and charity workers, staff of the various departments of the NMSP and villagers in the NMSP controlled area received vaccinations for Covid-19.

The Public Health Department (controlled by the junta) had provided 5,000 vaccines to the NMSP.

People in Dawei, Thaton and Mawlamyine District of the NMSP controlled area, specifically those in villages nearby the Headquarters of the NMSP and villagers in Japanese Well village in Thai-Burma border have also been vaccinated.

“We’ve cooperated with the midwife from the Public Health Department and vaccinated 850 people. They are mainly party members/soldiers and their family members, monks and villagers,” said Nai Zaw Min Oo, an official of the Thaton District NMSP.

While Thaton District NMSP received 850 vaccines there were nearly 1,500 people who wanted to be vaccinated. The party is planning to vaccinate them as soon as more vaccines become available.

People in the NMSP controlled areas have had challenges getting access to the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Most people in the NMSP controlled area don’t have ID cards. They must have the ID card to get vaccinated. So we vaccinated on September 17 (as we’ve had to make ID cards first),” said a villager from Myin War Gone village, Kyarinnseikyi Township, the NMSP controlled area.

Initially villagers were reluctant to take the vaccine due to concerns about its quality and manufacturing source, being China. They allowed one family member to get vaccinated first and waited for an hour to see if it appeared to be safe. Then the remainder of the family agreed to get vaccinated.

“Because the vaccine is made in China, people did not want to get vaccinated. We, the NMSP, had to educate them (to get vaccinated). If you’re fully vaccinated (even with China-made vaccines), I’m not sure that it can prevent the infection or not but I believe that it can reduce the mortality rate,” said Nai Zaw Min Oo.

Written by Modinator · Filed Under News