A senior health has refuted social media rumours that a "vaccination campaign" against the new coronavirus is due to start in Lainya and Yei River counties of Central Equatoria State.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Monday, Dr. James Wani, the director general of health in the defunct Yei River State described the information circulating on social media as “false” and “misleading”.

“I saw on social media, especially Facebook that there is going to be mass vaccination against COVID-19 in Lainya and Yei counties. I want tell the people of Yei and South Sudan that we don’t have a vaccine for coronavirus. What we received from the national Health ministry and the COVID-19 taskforce were 10 boxes of testing kids strictly for people meeting the case definition of COVID-19,” he explained.

The health official urged people to observe health regulations and guidelines against the spread of the new coronavirus pandemic.

“We have to wash our hands with soap and clean water, avoid crowded places, avoid shaking hands, cover our mouths and noses while coughing, avoid travelling to countries with reported cases of coronavirus and call 6666 for medical help,” he stressed.