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Extending the target groups from time to time towards achieving a 100 per cent vaccinated society, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has begun vaccinating the expatriates, with the first phase launched Friday on the island of Masirah.
All expatriates who have a valid resident card can get their vaccine dose from the camp, which is ongoing at the Masirah Sports Hall, as part of the national vaccination campaign.
As many as 400 to 500 residents can be inoculated a day, according to the officials from the MoH.
This inoculation drive is in continuation of the vaccination campaign in which children of 12 years and above have been added since last week, and the vaccination for residents will take place along with the students of the schools in the governorate. The Masirah camp will go on for two weeks and will get over on Aug 27.
As part of the preparations of vaccination of expatriates, Dr Khaled al Saadi, Head of the Health Services on the island, visited the facility and ensured the center is capable of administering the jabs.
"We have verified the facility and ensured that the vaccination centre is able to provide vaccines to hundreds of residents a day," he said.
The vaccination campaign in South Al Sharqiyah will see several hundreds of expatriates aged above 18, mainly comprising Asians followed by Europeans taking the 1st dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine free of cost.
"There have been hundreds of expatriates of various nationalities since 8 am on Friday and the procedures to get vaccinated were very simple. Nearly 500 people were vaccinated on the first day," Rafeek Vadanappally, a social worker from the island told the Observer.
“All that the expatriates have to do is to bring their valid resident card when going to the vaccination centre to get their jab," he added.
Masirah Island is home for as many as 8,000 citizens and nearly 6,000 expatriates which consists of Indians, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis and people of other Asian origins.
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