Sudan: Govt to Soon Run Out of Covid Jabs Just Months After Giving Away 72,000 Doses

Juba — South Sudan will soon run out of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines just two months after initiating a return of 72,000 doses, according to its health authorities.

Angelo Guop, the Ministry of Health Covid-19 Chief of Operations, said there are only 1,820 doses remaining.

“These doses are now available in three main hospitals: Juba Teaching Hospital, Juba Military Hospital and Juba Police Hospital,” he told journalists during a Covid-19 weekly update over the weekend.

Mr Guop said the doses are likely to be utilised by July 18.

They were collected from other locations, where there is a low intake of vaccines, and brought to Juba, he added.

Health authorities in Lakes State said they have exhausted their AstraZeneca vaccine dosage which was allocated by the Ministry of Health.

In March this year, South Sudan received 132,000 doses of the vaccine from Covax, the global initiative to ensure low-income countries receive jabs.

However, in May, the country initiated a return of some doses after concluding that it could not administer the jabs before they expire. Kenya immediately expressed interest to have the consignment of 72,000 AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccines.

South Sudan’s Health ministry says only about 50,000 people have so far received their AstraZeneca jabs out of the country’s 13 million people.

As of July 10, the country has recorded 10,674 coronavirus cases, 117 deaths and 10,257 recoveries.

The World Health Organization has urged South Sudan to ensure at least 10 percent of its population is vaccinated against coronavirus by September 2021.

By East African.