South Sudanese Medics Stay Away from COVID-19 Inoculation

By Okech Francis

The inoculation against COVID-19 in the capital Juba has registered a low turnout with medical personnel choosing to stay away in the first week.

The medics, the frontline workers combatting the virus were selected as the first to receive the vaccines in South Sudan. They would be followed by persons above 65 years and those with underlying complications.

While about 5000 medics were targeted for the inoculation from both private and public sector, a very limited number turned up, the Director General for Primary Health Care, Atem Riak Anyuon, said by phone in Juba on Sunday.

The campaign, originally planned for a week in Juba has been extended, he said.

“The turnup has been very poor so we have decided to extend the vaccination by another five days to vaccinate all the healthcare workers in Juba,” Anyuon said.

“After that we will then extend to the States for the health workers there.”

Anyuon did not reveal the number of those vaccinated.

South Sudan launched the inoculation drive against the global pandemic on April 6 after receiving about 192,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines.

Gavi’s COVAX facility shipped in 132,000 shots while 60,000 jabs arrived under an African Union initiative.

The inoculation is being carried out at three centers in the capital including at Juba Teaching Hospital, Juba Military Hospital, J1 and Police Hospital.

Despite those who received the vaccine experiencing side effects, it is generally good for their protection against COVID-19 severity, Anyuon said.

Since April 2020 when South Sudan registered the first COVID-19 case, there have been 10,372 infections with 114 deaths.