More than 350 people have received their first Covid-19 AstraZeneca vaccine jabs since the vaccination drive was launched last Saturday in Warrap State.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday, the state health minister Abak Yel Madot said they are vaccinating frontline health workers and the elderly aged 50 and above in three centers of Kuajok, Mother Tereza, and Tonj hospitals. 

"The vaccination is going on well. Yesterday, we have 198 people who received vaccines from Kuajok Hospital, 91 people received vaccines from Tonj center while mother Tereza hospital at Twic County has 80 people who attended the vaccination and received vaccines too. So it's safe and elderly people from 50 and above must step up for vaccination," she said.

She urged the people of Warrap to turn out in big numbers to be vaccinated saying the vaccines are safe. "The challenges we have, some people might be scared about Facebook propaganda which say vaccines when received, causes infertility, this is not true, vaccines are safe for use," she added.

For his part, the Director for Surveillance in the state Ministry of Health John Akol Akol said after taking the vaccine, he only experienced mild headaches as he assures the population that the vaccines are safe.

"For me, I only experienced a mild headache and that is obvious. Any drugs even quinine has a slight side effect and people should not fear it. Some people whom we took the vaccines together don't have any mild headache even now, they are going on with their business as usual," he stressed.