South Sudan on Thursday received its first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines. A total of 132,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine arrived at the Juba International Airport, reported Africa News. It is the first of several vaccine shipments scheduled to arrive over the coming months via the Covax Facility.
The COVAX is a global initiative led by Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF, and WHO. It has been established to ensure all countries get equal access to COVID-19 vaccines.
According to South Sudan’s Health Minister Elizabeth Achuei, vaccinations will begin by next week. In the first phase of the vaccination drive, healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, community health workers, and social mobilizers, will be prioritized, along with people aged 65 and above.
Achuei said the AstraZeneca shipment is a milestone for the country.
“The vaccine will help us protect our population against COVID-19 infections and prepare for a return to a normal life,” the health minister said after receiving the shipment at Juba International Airport. “We are grateful to all partners for their support in facilitating the delivery of vaccines to South Sudan.”
South Sudan expects to get 732,000 vaccine doses through the COVAX facility in the first six months of the year.
“We are thrilled to have received the vaccine,” said Dr. Fabian Ndenzako, the World Health Organization’s representative in South Sudan.
Ndenzako said the vaccine will complement public health measures such as wearing masks, physical distancing, ventilation, and hand hygiene, along with robust programs to test, trace, isolate, and treat.
South Sudan has recorded nearly 10,000 coronavirus cases and 107 deaths since registering its first case in April last year. The country has only performed 127,627 tests so far.
The health authorities plan to procure five million doses of coronavirus vaccines, enough to protect 20% of its population, estimated at 12 million people before the epidemic. Vaccination will be voluntary and free.
