South Sudan has received 1.1 million doses of cholera vaccines as the country continues to fight a cholera outbreak. The vaccines, provided by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI), were flown into Juba on Monday.
Gabriel Buom Tap, UNICEF’s Immunisation Officer, explained that the vaccine requires two doses. However, even a single dose can provide immunity within two weeks, offering protection for up to six months. The second dose extends this protection to as much as three years.
The cholera outbreak, which was first declared in October in a border town between Sudan and South Sudan, has now spread across six of the country’s ten states. The most vulnerable populations include those displaced by flooding and refugees from Sudan.
South Sudan’s government has reported over 100 deaths and more than 6,000 active cholera cases. Authorities are calling on the health sector and other relevant bodies to increase efforts to control the outbreak.
Yolanda Awel Deng, South Sudan’s Minister of Health, emphasised the need for greater public awareness and called on the media and civil society to assist in promoting the importance of vaccination.
Frances Ibiefo
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