The Ministry of Health has said logistical arrangements are in place to ensure arrival of COVID-19 vaccine doses in South Sudan.
South Sudan had requested for 5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine—an equivalent of 20 per cent its population—from the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization (GAVI).
It is not clear when the country made the request but the Director General for Preventive Health Service Dr. John Rumunu said the vaccines arrive within a span of three months after a country tables a request.
“Logistical arrangements are underway to ensure target groups are reached,” Dr. Rumunu told press during the periodic Sunday COVID-19 briefing last weekend.
Rumunu said the vaccine’s arrival was on the pipeline to South Sudan to primarily secure the health workers who are on the forefront in the fight against coronavirus.
‘Vulnerable first’
He said the first dose would be administered to the most vulnerable groups who include the health care workers, elderly people and persons with underlying health conditions. The other groups are IDPs, people living with HIV and economically active people in South Sudan.
As Africa struggles to secure sufficient vaccines to start countrywide inoculation programs for its 1.3 million people, South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, who doubles as Chairperson of Africa Union (EU) called on the rich countries not to hoard the vaccine but to equitably share it worldwide, Reuters reported.
South Africa is the most COVID-19 hit country in Africa, accounting for close to half of the continent’s fatalities.
Kenya last week, said it will start vaccination program for the priority groups including health care workers and elderly people nest month.
However, early this week, media reports said the African Union (AU) has acquired 270 million doses of vaccines that will be equally distributed to African countries.
Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) boss Tedros Ghebreyesus termed the move by the West to priotise inoculation of young and ‘healthy’ population ahead of the elderly ones a moral catastrophe.
Tedros argued that the vaccination of the elderly ought to have been made a priority especially in the developing countries.