Oman to receive 20% of COVID-19 vaccines this year

Muscat: Frontline workers who are taking care of patients suffering from COVID-19, and are therefore most likely to be infected, will be among the first to be vaccinated against the disease, when the first doses come to the country.

Dr Mohammed Al Hosani, Undersecretary for Health Affairs at the Ministry of Health, said, “So far, there is no vaccine licensed by international bodies, and the results of vaccine trials are promising.”

“We have knocked on all the doors and many companies showed their readiness to offer the vaccine,” he added. “The Sultanate joined the Global Alliance for Vaccination and Immunisation (GAVI), and we will be provided 10 per cent of the vaccines by them, and receive another 10 per cent from companies, so that we have enough to meet 20 per cent of the population’s needs before the end of this year.”

However, as priority, the vaccines will be used for healthcare and other emergency service personnel. “These vaccines will be first given to health workers, the army and the police, who deal with citizens on the front lines.”

Oman has long been committed to procuring a vaccine to stop the spread of COVID-19 in the country. Earlier, in July, the Minister of Health, Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Saidi, said that the country was in close collaboration with GAVI to receive doses of the vaccine.