MoH begins booster dose roll-out

The Ministry of Health (MoH) has started giving the booster dose or the third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to those aged 18 or above and have completed six months since receiving the second dose.

The booster dose for the target groups will be of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, regardless of the type of vaccine received by the person previously, the MoH clarified.

The ministry has called on everyone to take the booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine at the earliest. It has already started giving the booster dose to people above 65 years, healthcare and frontline workers aged 50 and above, patients with chronic diseases.

The curve of Covid infections in the Sultanate of Oman had witnessed a rise last Wednesday and Thursday, according to MOH, though no deaths were recorded during this period.

"Do not be a reason for the continued rise in injuries, adhere to precautionary and preventive measures," the MoH said.

On Sunday, the Supreme Committee (SC) highlighted the fact that the new Omicron variant has led to a significant increase in the number of cases in various countries, including an increase in the number of inpatients in wards and intensive care units.

“The reports on the epidemiological situation in the Sultanate of Oman indicate a slight increase in positive cases, with the continuation of low rates of inpatients in hospital and intensive care units, and a high rate of immunization with a single dose to 93 per cent of the target group,” the committee said.

It also announced new decisions to deal with Covid-19 and other diseases.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it remained unclear whether additional Covid-19 vaccine doses are needed to protect against the new Omicron variant and urged wealthy countries to avoid hoarding the jabs.

Her comment came after preliminary results published Wednesday indicated that three doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine were needed to obtain the same level of protection against Omicron as two doses provided against the initial strain.

O'Brien said the WHO was examining the data, and that it may turn out that "additional doses have the benefit to provide added protection against Omicron", but stressed it was still "very early days".