S. Sudan to receive first consignment of COVID-19 vaccine tomorrow

JUBA – South Sudan will finally receive its first batch of 59,000 doses of AstraZeneca on Tuesday, said health official.

The first batch of 59,000 doses of AstraZeneca which will arrive in Juba tomorrow is part of doses pledged by the African Union.

Speaking to reporters in Juba during a weekly media briefing, Richard Lako, South Sudan COVID-19 Manager said two shipments will arrive in Juba during the course of the week.

He added the first shipment will come from African Union and the second from GAVI COVAX.

“African Union will be deploying 59,000 doses of AstraZeneca that they promised by Tuesday, March 23 2021,” Richard added that another shipment of GAVI-COVAX will arrive in the course of the week from Europe.

“The second shipment will be here by Thursday. It will amount to 132,000 does as the first ship of 3 percent,” Lako said.

According to the Ministry of Health, the health workers  will be allocated 27,000 doses, elderly population 2,096,380, persons with underlying factors like diabetes 220,120, persons living with HIV/AIDS 190,000, IDPs [internally displaced persons] 405,000, teachers 46,000, economically active population [25-40 years old] 2,212,147.