South Sudan Receives First Batch of Covid-19 Vaccines through COVAX

Juba: 132,000 doses of the AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine arrived at the Juba International Airport, Juba, South Sudan on Thursday. 
 
This is the first of several vaccine shipments scheduled to arrive over the coming months to South Sudan through the support of the COVAX Facility. 
 
The COVAX Facility is a global partnership comprised of Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF and WHO established to ensure all countries can equitably access covid-19 vaccines.

The first COVAX supported shipment of vaccines will target health care workers as well as persons aged 65 years and older, given their increased risk of severe disease and death due to a potential COVID-19 infection. 
 
The health care workers include doctors, nurses, community-based health workers and social mobilisers, amongst others.
 
"The COVID-19 vaccine will help us to protect our population against covid-19 infections and prepare for a return to a normal life. We are grateful to all partners for their support in facilitating the arrival of the vaccines in our country," said Minister of Health Elizabeth Achuei in a press release on Thursday.
 
Together with today’s COVAX shipment of vaccines, 132,500 syringes and 1,325 safety boxes for the safe disposal of syringes arrived.
 
Through the COVAX Facility, 732,000 doses of vaccines are expected to be deployed to South Sudan in the first six months of 2021.
 
“Today is a historic day for South Sudan and its fight against covid-19,” said Patience Musanhu, Gavi Senior Country Manager for South Sudan. 
 
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 per cent of its population, as outlined in the country’s COVID-19 National Deployment and Vaccination Plan.
 
“The arrival of the vaccines is the first step towards a normal life which is an important step for children and their future, as we know they have been hit the hardest by all the covid-19 restrictions,” said Hamida Lasseko, UNICEF South Sudan Representative. 
 
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