As it reached the third day of rolling out the vaccination exercise in the country, the minister of health Elizabeth Achuei encouraged the citizens to accept and take the COVID-19 jab should their turn knock.

On Tuesday, South Sudan launched its mass COVID-19 vaccination program, joining a multitude of countries in Africa to initiate the inoculation.

“There is no reason for you to fear taking it,” Achuei was speaking to City Review in an exclusive interview at Buluk police hospital yesterday.

She added, “I am very happy by the rollout of the vaccination [exercise]. I was really worried due to the delay for some weeks before but now am glad our people will be vaccinated and they should take the jab because it’s really safe.

 “They should take my example and the rest of the doctors and let us just trust in God and everything will be fine.’’

Achuei received her jab on Tuesday at Juba Teaching Hospital, setting precedence for the frontline health workers and regular citizens to embrace the injections.

The minister noted that South Sudan wants to vaccinate 40 per cent of its population against COVID-19, and that at least 27,000 of frontline health care workers should be inoculated within three weeks.

The country’s vaccination prioritises essential groups, starting with healthcare workers and community mobilizers followed by those above 65 years. Those with underlying health conditions like diabetes, hypertension, heat, HIV, Kidney and liver are also targeted.

The country received its 132,000 doses on the March 25, 2021

The Director of Juba Teaching Hospital Makir Isaac Luith urged the health workers to embrace the vaccine adding it was ‘an important moment for the people of’ South Sudan.

“I am encouraging all the health care workers to accept the vaccination, we don’t anybody to lose his or her life to COVID-19,”he said