Southeast Asian countries need more help securing COVID-19 vaccines, as the region struggles to contain record infections and deaths driven by the Delta variant, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said.
"This COVID-19 surge driven by the Delta variant is claiming a tragic toll on families across Southeast Asia and it's far from over," Alexander Matheou, Asia Pacific Director, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said in a statement. Malaysia on Wednesday, August 18, reported 22,242 coronavirus cases, a daily record, while Thailand announced 312 deaths, a record increase for a second day in a row.
Yet while countries like Canada, Spain and Britain have fully vaccinated more than 60% of their people, and the United States more than 50%, Southeast Asian countries are well behind, according to a Reuters COVID-19 tracker.