South Sudan to receive 60,000 doses of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines today

South Sudan is expected to receive its third batch of 60,000 doses of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines on Tuesday, a World Health Organization (WHO) official revealed over the weekend.

According to WHO, the 60,000 AstraZeneca vaccines are a donation from the government of France to the people of South Sudan.

Speaking to journalists in Juba on Sunday, WHO’s Covid-19 Incident manager in South Sudan, Dr. Sacha Bootsman, said the 60,000 doses of AstraZeneca would arrive in the country on Tuesday.

“The latest information that we have received is that next Tuesday, 16 November, the 60,000 doses of AstraZeneca will come in,” Dr. Bootsman said. “So, these 60,000 doses are meant to give the 51,833 people that have only had one shot of AstraZeneca to be given their second dose of AstraZeneca.” 

The country was expected to receive the 60,000 doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines, including 168,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccines, last week Friday, 12. November but the flight was delayed according to the WHO official.

Dr. Bootsman says the second batch of 168,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccines is expected to arrive by the end of November.

“The 168,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson will now arrive at the end of November. But now the 60,000 AstraZeneca doses are expected on Tuesday and then we are also expecting another 93,600 doses of Johnson & Johnson but we are not yet sure when this will come,” she added.

The 168,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson expected by the end of November are a donation from the USA and the other 93,600 doses of Johnson & Johnson that would come later are donations from France according to the WHO official.

“It does not matter if you received your first jab in June or July even if it is beyond the 12 weeks that is recommended to have between that first and the second dose,” Dr. Bootsman revealed. “What we are saying is that even if you received your dose 14 to 20 weeks ago, you still should go and get your second dose.” 

According to WHO, about 92,408 people are fully vaccinated in South Sudan in which 59,352 people received one shot of Johnson & Johnson while 33,056 people received two doses of AstraZeneca and 51,833 received one shot of AstraZeneca.

South Sudan confirmed 71 cases of Covid-19 in the past week bringing the total cumulative confirmed cases to 12,585, with 12,168 recoveries and 133 deaths