![President Salva Kiir Mayardit rang the bell at Juba Day Secondary School to signal the start of the 2020 Certificate of Secondary Education Examinations [Photo by Presidency Press]](https://i1.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/E64ECFB2-2D94-4BE2-9420-F509AC78A5DF.jpeg)
JUBA – South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit has directed health officials to launch the COVID-19 vaccination of AstraZeneca vaccine in the country.
The directives came after Kiir together with his cabinet were briefed by health experts from the Ministry of Health on why they chose AstraZeneca for South Sudan at J-1 yesterday.
Speaking after the presentation of COVID-19 vaccine, Kiir accepted the AstraZeneca vaccine and directed the Ministry of Health to continue with plans to officially launch the mass vaccination of the population against COVID-19.
“We have to accept the present of Coronavirus in South Sudan and you have seen it has taken our very important people,” he was quoted by SSBC as saying.
He encouraged South Sudanese to take vaccines to help protect them against the virus.
“As it has been said by one of my colleagues, Let us accept the vaccination and then we go in for it,” he said.
South Sudan received 132,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from COVAX Facility, a global partnership composed of Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) a few weeks ago.
The COVID-19 vaccination campaign in South Sudan will start soon.
Plans for implementing vaccine activities throughout the country in all 80 counties are being developed.
Health care workers are being trained prior to vaccine deployment.
Over the next several months, through to the end of 2022, South Sudan is planning to vaccinate 40 percent of its population, as outlined in the country’s COVID-19 National Deployment and Vaccination Plan.
![South Sudan First Vice President and SPLM-IO leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny speaking to Reuters in Rome, Italy in April 20129 [Photo by Reuters]](https://i1.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/download__1_-removebg-preview-1-1.png)
![Africano Mande, deputy commissioner general of the National Revenue Authority [Photo Courtesy]](https://i1.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Mande-120x86.jpeg)
This will be another way of knowing exactly the population in South Sudan. First thing is to examine the vaccines before rolling out of use. Second, buy more doses like 20 million so that, you will know what is really population in the country. I think the population of South Sudan may range from 20 million to 22 million people. Just assume the refugees scattered around Africa and the world and the present in South Sudan. People who have suggested about 13 million are wrong.