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‘Vaccine may be available before end of year’

12 Sep 2020

With many countries expressing interest in joining the COVAX facility designed to guarantee fast and equitable access globally to COVID-19 vaccines, Oman is in continuous coordination with companies to get doses as soon as it is produced.

Announcing updates, H E Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Sa’eedi, Minister of Health, said, “Hopefully, the vaccine will be available before the end of this year. We are in consultation with all vaccine companies.”

COVAX is led by GAVI, the World Health Organization and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). Its aim is to deliver 2bn doses of effective, approved COVID-19 vaccines by the end of 2021.

The shots will be delivered equally to participating countries proportional to their populations and initially administered to health workers.

“We need to take care of our health workers. Most of them wear masks and protective clothing for eight hours straight, and if this epidemic continues, they will become more tired,” Dr Sa’eedi said.

He said that COVID-19 cases are increasing both locally and globally and there is need to adhere to the precautionary measures. “Institutions must ensure only 70 per cent of employees work from office. Hundred per cent of employees returning to work is violation of the decisions of the Supreme Committee,” Dr Sa’eedi said.

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