Logistics, regulatory bottlenecks loom as Southeast Asia embarks on COVID-19 vaccine rollout

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JAKARTA — Malaysia’s Health Ministry completed a 550km practice run in rural Sarawak to test its Covid-19 vaccine supply chain, whileIndonesia’s president rolled up his sleeve on live television to get the jab.

South-east Asian countries are slowly rolling out vaccines, navigating regulatory hurdles, accelerating infections and supply bottlenecks across a vast and diverse population in the first mass immunization of its kind in history.

Past immunization programs for diseases like polio and tuberculosis had captive audiences: school children, for example.

This time everyone needs a shot. The effort will be uneven. Experts say richer countries will be faster at rolling out …

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