Health authorities in Bor town of Jonglei State on Thursday started the second vaccination drive for the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccination.

The state health ministry received 920 vaccine doses from the global vaccine distribution mechanism, the COVAX through the national health ministry. 

Dr. Samuel Majur, the state health ministry director-general, told Radio Tamazuj that the vaccination drive is ongoing well.

“On Thursday,  we launched the second drive of Covid-19. The turnout is good. So far, we vaccinated over 100 people, with 89 on the first day," he said. 

The director-general attributed the huge turnout to the health education campaign the ministry had embarked on and called on the unvaccinated to get their jabs, emphasizing that the vaccine is safe. 

“We encouraged those who got their first doses to turn out because we are giving priority to anyone who comes first,” he said.  

Bol Chaw Manyang, who serves as the Bor State Hospital medical director, had already received his first jab. He said, "I will get my second dose on Monday. I was not vaccinated on that day because I was traveling to Juba and I was not feeling well. I think the turnout was good because 89 people got vaccinated on Thursday.”

Dr. Bol encouraged Jonglei people to get vaccinated, saying more vaccine uptake will motivate COVAX to donate. 

For his part, Tang Chatim, the Uror County commissioner, called on the state health ministry to decentralized the vaccination drive, saying he has yet to get the jab because all the counties are cut-off.   

South Sudan last week received its second consignment of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine consisting of 59,520 doses from the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility.