Oman to import 3 million doses of vaccines by August

Muscat: Oman to import close to 3 million doses of vaccines by end of  August 2021

The Sultanate, represented by the Ministry of Health, seeks to supply 2,829,939 doses of vaccines against the Coronavirus Covid-19, which will be phased before the end of August 2021, provided that the rest of the doses are supplied in batches before the end of the current year.

The Ministry of Health has prepared the “National Strategy for Immunization against Covid 19”, which aims to immunize 3 million and 200 thousand people, equivalent to 70 percent of the total population, with vaccines to prevent the spread of the disease if the one million people under the age of 18 are excluded. This is equivalent to 30 percent of the total population.

The total number of doses of grafts is estimated at five million and four hundred thousand doses, so that one dose is given to those who have previously had the disease. They do not need more than one dose to reach an adequate level of immunity to prevent disease.

The determination of the Sultanate’s needs for vaccinations was based on scientific foundations, the most important of which is the necessity to limit the spread of disease among members of the community, which necessitates the vaccination of 70 percent of the population, and the identification of groups that were infected with the disease through the serological surveys conducted at the end of last year and the selection of safe and effective vaccines in addition to identifying The groups are most vulnerable to complications that may lead to hospitalization, especially in intensive care departments.

The process of spreading the grafts in the national strategy came in two phases. The first aimed to cover 30 percent of the population, equivalent to one million and 400 thousand people from the most vulnerable groups during the period from December of last year to June of this year, who are 50 years old. And above, and basic service providers on the front lines such as (health workers, military personnel and medium-risk workers such as field workers, residents of residential complexes, workers in the educational corps, basic service providers from other government agencies, and volunteers) .. In addition to patients with chronic diseases from 18-50 Years, and immunocompromised patients.

While the second phase targets 40 percent of the population, equivalent to one million and 800 thousand of the least vulnerable groups from next July to next December, and includes students under 18 years of age, residents of residential complexes, travelers on official missions, pilgrims and Umrah performers, and age groups from 18 to 50 Year.