Indonesia has received its second batch of coronavirus vaccines from Sinovac, the country’s foreign and health ministers said, as the world’s fourth most populous country prepares a mass inoculation programme.

The government took delivery of 1.8 million doses of the Chinese vaccine, adding to the 1.2m it received on Dec 6, and aims to vaccinate its 267m population for free, starting with frontline health workers.

“Before people return to work in January, vaccines can be distributed to 34 provinces, so that we can start a vaccination programme for health workers,” health minister, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, said in a live telecast.

“It will take us more than 12 months to complete this vaccination programme,” Budi added.