(Bloomberg) -- In the race to immunize people against the coronavirus, Singapore has pulled ahead of its neighbors to become the first in Southeast Asia to start an official Covid-19 vaccination program.
The city-state began inoculating healthcare workers on Dec. 30, when it gave shots to 40 staff from its national infectious diseases center.
Indonesia, which was the first in the region to receive a vaccine shipment, needs to wait for more data before approving China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd. shots for use. Southeast Asia’s biggest and most populous economy has announced multiple agreements to receive potential vaccines as the nation fights the region’s worst coronavirus outbreak.
Both countries are involved in vaccine development and manufacturing, a testament to the variety of strategies employed by Southeast Asian nations. Here’s how the region of more than 650 million people is dealing with differing fiscal, demographic and distribution challenges in their vaccine strategies.
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