Astrazeneca vaccine to be given to people above 65 from Sunday
The Sultanate will launch a new campaign on Sunday to administer a vaccine to a new segment of target groups.
According to the Ministry of Health, the Oxford-astrazeneca vaccine will be administered to people in the age group 65 and above in all governorates, irrespective of whether they are healthy or suffer from chronic diseases.
To be available at the previously designated immunisation centres, the second dose of the same vaccine will be given at an interval of four weeks.
The Sultanate received 100,000 doses of Oxfordastrazeneca vaccine produced at Serum Institute of India.
People who already received the first dose of Pfizer-biontech vaccine will not be eligible to take this vaccine as the second dose.
Regarding the delay in the arrival of Pfizer vaccine, Dr
Ahmed bin Mohammed al Saeedi, had said earlier: “The company was in the process of developing its factories, which led to a temporary interruption in the export of the vaccine. However, the manufacturer has confirmed that a six-week delay will not impact the effectiveness of the vaccine.”
He indicated that 450,000 doses of the vaccine have been reserved and will arrive this month. Priority will be given to those who received the first dose. There are also 2.5 million doses which have been reserved for the Sultanate from vaccine manufacturers, the minister added, hoping that before the middle of this year, all the first target groups should receive the vaccine.
“We have trained 710 food supervisors and workers intending to help them to achieve the desired results of the assessment drive.”
Regarding the municipality’s efforts to ensure food safety among restaurants and other food outlets in the country, the official said the Inspection and Food Control Department has established departments to make sure that health requirements at the restaurants were closely adhered to and the inspection teams have been provided with scientific and technical capabilities to implement their tasks assigned to them.
The assessment drive covers all wilayats to ensure that the approved health requirements are applied to make sure that food items are preserved in proper conditions. All employees should follow good health practises to ensure the safety and hygiene of food items which are being sold.
“We are conducting awareness campaigns related to public health and raising interest in health education besides participating in some food safety conferences, preparing brochures and publications on food safety, educating people on the prevention of contamination and spoilage.”
The central municipality laboratory regularly analyses samples of food which are withdrawn from the market.
For the imported food items which come through air, the health inspection officers at Muscat International Airport inspect the shipments and allow only after being assured that the food items are suitable for human consumption.