OMAN TO ROLL OUT COVID-19 VACCINE FROM SUNDAY
To show that the vaccine has no adverse effects, the Minister of Health will get the first injection in the Sultanate
MUSCAT: Oman will begin COVID-19 vaccine distribution from Sunday, December 27, the country’s Minister of Health has said.
Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Saidi added he will be the first person in the country to be injected with the vaccine, to show to everyone else that it has no adverse side-effects.
Oman has ordered coronavirus vaccines manufactured by Pfizer. Explaining why the ministry had chosen to bring in vaccines made by the US pharmaceutical company, Al Saidi said, “Only two companies around the world have been authorised to provide immunity from the coronavirus, one of which is Pfizer.
“During the early stages of vaccine distribution, priority to develop immunity from COVID-19 will be given to those working on the frontline,” he added. “Wearing a mask, maintaining social distancing and adopting proper personal hygiene are practices that must be permanently employed to stop the coronavirus from spreading.”
“Citizens and residents in the country must adhere to precautionary measures to help the health sector in dealing with, and to withstand, the pandemic,” Al Saidi added. “We hope to see a decline in COVID-19 cases by next year.”
Al Saidi also said that the decision to temporarily close Oman’s points of entry and exit by land, air, and sea was the right one, given the discovery of a new, more virulent strain of COVID-19 discovered in the UK.
“Studies are underway to confirm the presence of the virus in four people who have come from the UK,” said the minister. “The study of the genetic map of the virus is ongoing, and will be announced soon. The Supreme Committee’s decision was made as a precaution, until the countries in which the new strain of COVID-19 is spreading can be identified.
“About 60 per cent of the COVID-19 cases in Oman were due to travel, but attention has now been paid to address this issue,” he went on to say.
“This mutation of the coronavirus does not mean it will be more powerful, but rather that it will spread faster. COVID-19 vaccines can be used to protect oneself against the mutated virus.”
The minister added that from the time the coronavirus had first come to Oman, it had recorded about 4,000 mutations. There is constant observation on the epidemiological situation regarding COVID-19 in the country by the Ministry of Health, with the Supreme Committee taking decisions accordingly.
“Thewholeworldiswaitingforadditional information from the United Kingdom about the new strain of the coronavirus,” said Al Saidi.
“It is necessary for everyone in the country to adhere to the usual precautions, while only taking information about the relevant vaccines from their sources: companies are still in the stage of vaccine production.”