COVID-19: Sudan calls on medical staff and vulnerable groups to receive vaccine

The Sudanese health authorities have called on members of the public who fall into ‘high-risk’ categories, to report to the nearest vaccination centre. This includes medical personnel, seniors over 60, and people from 45 to 59 who have underlying chronic health conditions.

The Khartoum state Ministry of Health announced the registration of 53 new cases of COVID-19 and 73 recoveries on Monday, while no new deaths were recorded.

In its epidemiological report, the Ministry said that cases have spread in Khartoum, El Gezira, and Kassala. The total number of cases rose to 33, 104 deaths 2, 349 and recoveries to 26, 795. Of the new cases, 33 were registered in Khartoum.

Nader El Tayeb, Director of the General Department of Emergency and Epidemic Control at the Ministry of Health in Khartoum, said that three new isolation centres have been added to the nine already operating, in addition to the ten private isolation centres.

Vaccinations

The director of the Khartoum state Immunisation Department, Jamaleldin Osman, denied the emergence of any serious side effects from the vaccine. He said that Sudan is in its third wave, appealed to all ‘high-risk’ target groups to go to the vaccination centres.

He said that 107, 000 people were vaccinated with the first 200, 000 available doses in Khartoum. He also said that the second round of vaccinations will start on May 9, targeting all groups that have received their first dose.

Sudan was the first country in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to receive vaccines via COVAX Facility, a coalition co-led by the World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi, the Global Vaccines Alliance and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), that ensures equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to countries regardless of their income.

The first batch of 828,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine arrived at Khartoum with UNICEF support at the beginning of March.