Muscat – Following the Supreme Committee’s approval of booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine to high-risk groups and immunocompromised patients, the Directorate General of Disease Surveillance and Control in the Ministry of Health (MoH) has announced criteria for those eligible.

Booster doses are being administered from November 7 to high-risk groups who have completed eight months since the second dose of vaccine.

The high-risk groups include individuals who are 65 years and older, healthcare workers and front-line workers aged 50 years and older, and patients with chronic diseases aged 18 years and older, especially for those if not well controlled.

Chronic illnesses include chronic lung conditions – chronic obstructive pulmonary syndrome (COPD), asthma (medium and high severity), interstitial lung disease, chronic kidney diseases (kidney failure and those on dialysis) – as well as diabetes, hypertension, hereditary blood disorders, liver diseases and obesity (body mass index of 30kg/m2 and higher).

For immunocompromised patients, the third dose will be administered to those who have completed three months since the second dose.

The target groups include immunocompromised patients aged 12 and older who are undergoing cancer treatment, bone marrow or organ transplantation, HIV positive (especially uncontrolled), and those receiving immunosuppressive drugs or biological agents.

‘The dosage should be scheduled as instructed by the doctor treating the patient in consideration of his/her health condition and ensuring it doesn’t interfere with other medication,’ MoH stated.

36 cases reported in 3 days

The Ministry of Health, on Sunday, announced 36 new cases of COVID-19 registered over three days. There were no COVID-19-related deaths in this period. With this, the total number of COVID-19 cases registered in the sultanate now stands at 304,365 and 4,112 related deaths. The ministry also stated that 55 COVID-19 patients recovered in this period, accounting for a total of 299,754 recoveries.