Eastern Equatoria State on Friday received a total of 4,590 doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine to be distributed across all the six vaccination sites of Torit, Nimule, Isohe, Kapoeta, Chukudum, and Imehejek.

The state health minister, Lodai Paschalino Romeo Oyahuri, said the public was hesitant to take the vaccine during the last round due to fears of side effects but called on the public, especially those who received the first dose, to turn up from Monday next week for the vaccine.

“In the first batch of the vaccine that was delivered, we had a little hesitancy. Some people were skeptical about receiving the vaccine. Relating this to the circulating stories in the social media and many other fears of the unknown, we had a delay and most of the vaccines were sent back to Juba,” Minister Lodai said. “But still we believe that the first people who took the vaccines will all come back for the second dose and we expect more to roll in.”

He reassured the public and said the vaccine has undergone processes of verification before it was proven safe.

“This vaccine comes from a consortium of a team of professional people, we call them COVAX, who sat together to verify the goodness and the safety of the vaccine. After a long process of verification, we found it safe. So the people should have no fear of side effects,” He added.

The head of the UNICEF Torit Field Office, Mikelele Bernard, urged the health partners to roll out the mobilization exercise within two days to motivate the public to turn up for the vaccination.

“It’s good that we have received the vaccines and what is left is for us now to roll out the actual implementation, which is the vaccination aspect. What is very important for us in the next forty-eight hours is social mobilization and also putting our houses in order so that by Monday we will kick start the vaccination itself,” Mikelele said. 

The Torit Municipal Mayor, Joseph Ayee Joseph Oswaha, who received the first dose in July, said the arrival of the vaccines has relieved them from worrying about the stipulated amount of time between the first and second doses. 

“It is very good because we were worried, especially for those of us who had taken the vaccination, because of the date mentioned on the card. We should have taken it (Second dose) on the 8 August, mine is written on the 8 or 9 August but today is 3 September,” Mayor Oswaha said. 

A resident of Torit town, James Juma, expresses readiness to receive the vaccine after missing on the previous campaign. 

“I did not get it because I was so occupied with so many things and when the vaccination happened, I was away. This is very important, I will receive it because this is giving strength to my body. I will receive it,” Juma said.

Odong Jackson, another Torit resident, said, “We have to speak the truth, I did not receive it because people were afraid that this vaccine will bring Coronavirus. This was the reason some of us feared. I still fear because this thing cannot be forced on someone. After all, it is something that comes from someone’s heart.”