Awareness campaign needed before launch of COVID-19 vaccine

Muscat: The National Bioethics Committee urged the need for an awareness campaign on COVID-19 vaccine. The committee is necessary to win over some people who may oppose the vaccine.

Speaking to the Observer, Dr Zahid al Mandhari, an oncologist at Sultan Qaboos Comprehensive Cancer Center, and a member of the National Bioethics Committee, said that vaccines not only protect the individuals but also the community.

"Everyone should be vaccinated if this is available and do not follow movements against vaccination and instead, there must be guidelines in each country on how to administer the vaccine, with clear standards and guidelines for giving priority to vaccination. An all-round awareness campaign is the need of the hour in order to educate the citizens and residents of the Sultanate of Oman and trust is the key in convincing the sceptics," said Dr Mandhari.

"Transparency and the need to educate the public and to continue to share data before, during and after vaccination campaigns in order to build trust are equally crucial in the days we expect the vaccine to hit the market soon.

"Prioritisation in vaccinations starts with frontline workers and those at highest risk and continuing in phases based on exposure and risk while not forgetting minorities and vulnerable groups," Dr Mandhari said.

He said that no vaccine will be administered until proven safe in the Sultanate. “We have assurances from the Minister of Health that no vaccine will be given unless it is proven to be safe and effective” said Dr Mandhari.

Under the auspices of His Highness Sayyid Dr Fahd bin al Julanda al Said, President of Sultan Qaboos University and Chairman of the Bioethics Committee, the National Bioethics Committee has recently organised the ninth international virtual forum, "COVID-19 Vaccine: A Problem or a Solution: Ethical Issues Associated with the Development and Distribution of the Vaccine - Local and International" in cooperation with the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), UNESCO and the Ministry of Health. More than 380 participants from different parts of the world took part in the conference.