During a visit to Yambio, Western Equatoria, on October 14, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., (CDA) David Renz observed the administration of the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine at the Yambio State Hospital as doses of the single-shot vaccine were administered to members of surrounding communities. Colleagues from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) accompanied the CDA during the day-long visit. In September, the United States Government donated 152,950 doses of the J&J vaccine to the people of South Sudan and those doses are now being distributed across the country, enabling more people throughout South Sudan to be vaccinated. While in Yambio, the Chargé also met with health care officials who briefed him on the latest efforts to implement projects supported by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), that continues to be a flagship health program in the country and reflection of years of collaborative work between the two governments with CDC and USAID as lead agencies supporting care and treatment services.
