Over 32,000 receive third dose of Covid jab

The Ministry of Health has said that 32,412 people received the third dose of Covid-19 vaccine in the Sultanate of Oman, taking the total number of doses administered in the country to 6,042,371.

The number of people who have received the second dose reached 2,889,245 or 86 per cent, and the number of those who received the first dose is 3,120,714 or 93 per cent

of the total targets.

The MoH said the vaccine is given to citizens in primary health care institutions in all wilayats, in addition to the Old Airport building (field hospital) in Seeb.

The field hospital will continue to provide vaccinations from Sunday to Thursday from 8 am until 2 pm for citizens and residents.

“The third dose is available in all health institutions for the target groups of 18 years and above who have completed six months of receiving the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine,” officials in the MoH said.

“For expatriates, the first and second doses are available at the Old Airport building while the schedule for the third dose will be announced in the coming weeks,” sources in the MoH said.

Meanwhile, WHO said, based on the current evidence, the Omicron variant of concern is spreading at a rate not seen with any other previous variant including Delta.

“Severity is not yet clear whether infection with the Omicron variant of concern causes more severe disease compared to infection with other variants, including Delta. There is currently no information to suggest that symptoms associated with the Omicron variant of concern are different from those of other variants. All variants of Covid-19, including Delta, can cause severe disease or death for the most vulnerable people, and thus prevention is always key.”

Preliminary evidence suggests there may be an increased risk of reinfection with Omicron as compared to other variants, but the information remains limited, WHO said.

The Supreme Committee last week issued a decision prohibiting the wedding and funeral ceremonies in mosques, halls and other public places.

As the number of Omicron cases is rapidly rising in the country, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has urged people to avoid non-essential travel and mass gatherings.

With the start of winter vacations in Indian and other community schools, a number of expatriate families are currently travelling to the subcontinent, perhaps for the first time in two years.