The Ministry of Health is set to launch this morning vaccinations against the coronavirus disease.

The first jabs are expected to be administered to frontline health care workers at Juba Teaching Hospital.

The health ministry announced on Sunday that the vaccines will be rolled out at four centers in Juba.

They include the Juba Teaching Hospital, Giada Military Hospital, the State House J1, and the Police Hospital in Juba.

The first doses of the 132,000 AstraZeneca vaccine arrived in South Sudan on March 25.

But its immediate rollout was postponed to allow medical doctors to explain to President Salva Kiir and his cabinet about the vaccines.

The Ministry of Health earlier announced it would start rolling the jabs within the Presidency.

However, the Director-General for Primary Healthcare at the health ministry, Dr. Riak Atem said health workers will now lead the way because they are at a greater risk of contracting the virus.

In the latest update, South Sudan recorded five new cases of the disease in the last 24 hours, raising the cumulative tally to 1,286 cases.

Of these, 9,835 have recovered and 113 have died.