Booster shot wait time shortened to 3 months

The Ministry of Health (MoH) has reduced the time period for the booster dose vaccines from six months to three from the date of receiving the second dose, starting Tuesday December 21.

Accordingly, all Omani citizens who have completed three months after their second dose can take their booster dose from the Field Hospital, the erstwhile Muscat International Airport in Al Seeb.

This time period earlier was six months and now it has been halved in order to cover maximum people under the booster umbrella in short span of time.

“All citizens can avail their booster dose from the Field Hospital between 8 am to 2 pm from Tuesday while all health centers would continue to provide Covid-19 vaccines for them (in case they have not taken any of them),” said Dr Nihal Afifi, Head of MoH Primary Health Department and contact point for vaccination.

“Expatriates living in the country who have not taken their 1st or second dose vaccines can also get their jab administered at the Field Hospital and no previous booking is needed for getting the same,” she added.

She added that some of the Primary Healthcare Centers (PHC’s) are also authorized to give booster doses to Omani nationals.

All citizens of Seeb wilayat can have their booster dose from 8 am to 8 pm at the Sultan Qaboos University Health Center while people of Bawshar are to avail it from Al Khuwair North Health Center between 8 am to 8 pm. The citizens of Muttrah wilayat will receive vaccination from Ruwi Health Center from 8 am to 2 pm while people of Muscat wilayat can get their doses from Muscat Health Center between 8 am and 2 pm.

The Amerat Health Center is all set to provide vaccines for people from Wilayat of Amerat (8 am to 2 pm) and the Sahil Health Center will provide vaccination to Omani citizens of Wilayat of Quryat from 8 am to 2 pm.

In a report released last week, the MoH said over 600,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered for various target groups in the country which shows that 59.6 per cent of the country’s population has received both doses of the vaccine. As many as 65 per cent of the people have been vaccinated with one dose till today.

The MoH urges people to take the booster dose for their safety. It also stresses the importance of adhering to preventive measures such as wearing face masks, observing physical distancing, avoiding crowded areas and maintaining hand sanitization.