Oman to get more vaccines

MUSCAT: The Sultanate is expected to receive 200,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccines by the end of June or the beginning of July.

This was stated by Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Saeedi, Minister of Health, in a statement to Oman News Agency.

The minister said that coordination is under way among governments of the world to regulate the distribution of vaccines and that by the end of this month Oman is likely to receive thousands of doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

Through the 190-strong international vaccine alliance of states, more than 240,000 doses of different vaccines are scheduled to arrive in the Sultanate from mid-March to the beginning of May.

The Ministry of Health is exerting efforts to receive one million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, said Dr Al Saeedi, noting that a contract will be signed to add 500,000 more doses of Pfizer-BioNTech.

He also pointed out that the biggest hurdle towards receiving vaccines is not the financial position, but rather the delay from vaccine producing countries. The Sultanate has so far received a total of 180,000 doses, of which 80,000 were Pfizer-BioNTech and 100,000 Oxford-AstraZeneca.

“Vaccine supply is a common challenge to all countries of the world’’, said the minister, adding that the Sultanate has approached many international companies, but it will not endorse any vaccine before checking its validity, safety and efficiency.

vaccination

Regretting the fact that some have shunned vaccination with Oxford-AstraZeneca, he reaffirmed that the Sultanate will not receive any vaccine or drug before checking that it is safe and secure for humans.

“The delay in receiving Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is beyond the control of the Ministry of Health. It is a global delay which has occurred when the company opted to expand one of its European factories’’, he said.

He exhorted citizens, residents and health workers to come forward and take the vaccines which, he said, are effective and secure.

He reaffirmed that no serious side-effects were registered in the Sultanate or elsewhere in the world so far from Covid-19 vaccines. The minister deplored unfounded rumours and wrong information in circulation via social media about the vaccines.

The minister also expressed his dismay at some health workers’ favouring some vaccines over others, noting that such opinions are not based on any scientific evidence.

Dr Al Saeedi asserted that after Oxford-AstraZeneca was administered to scores of millions of people, studies showed that this vaccine — even though it might not be the best — has been equally efficient as other vaccines. In this context, the minister referred to the experience of one of the countries that administered Oxford-AstraZeneca to 140,000 people and found out that it adds extra protection from acute infection and contributes to shorter hospitalisation and cutting down death rates by more than 94 per cent, compared to the products of other companies that have registered only 84 per cent in similar cases (of infections and death).

Dr Al Saeedi underscored the fact that there is scientifically and practically no difference between PfizerBioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, though one of the two might by available in more numbers than the other at a certain time.

“New segments of society will be given priority to vaccination,” said the minister, noting that the age limit of target groups will be brought down and that Oman hopes to cover 60 per cent of citizens and residents by the end of this year.

The minister said that the vaccines of some international companies have not yet been given the approval by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and that such companies use the vaccines in their respective regions, but the Sultanate will not accept any vaccine not endorsed by the WHO.

Oman began its National Immunisation Campaign against Covid-19 late last December (2020) at a time the turnout of citizens was initially slow and when Health Ministry officials, governors and walis were in constant contact with citizens to encourage them to join the immunisation drive, said Dr Al Saeedi.

As for the private sector, the supply of vaccines will be made after the ministry has been able to cover the target social segment set by the technical team, said the minister, who explained that this segment, which constitutes 20 per cent or less (of the population), is highly vulnerable to infection and its full coverage is likely to take place during or before the end of April. Then, the vaccines will be made available in the private sector for those wishing to be vaccinated, said the minister. — ONA