Schools and stadiums to be used as vaccination centres

MUSCAT: Schools, stadiums and other public places in Oman are to be used as centres to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine to people, the Minister of Health has said.

The plan to use these areas, as well as other public facilities such as the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC) does fall under directives issued as part of the national vaccination drive, he added.

“Mobile vaccination campaigns will continue until the end of 2021, by which time more than 70 percent of citizens and residents will have been immunised,” said Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Saidi.

Speaking during a meeting of the coronavirus immunisation team, the minister, who is also a member of the Supreme Committee to deal with COVID-19, said people above 45 can now apply for vaccinations.

Having booked about 4.37 million doses of the Pfizer/ BioNTech vaccine, Oman is also expected to receive an additional 1.5 million doses through GAVI, the global vaccine alliance.

More than one million COVID vaccines are expected to arrive in Oman by June, with a total of 1.5 million people likely vaccinated by the end of next month. 100,000 doses from other companies are also scheduled by then.