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MoH calls on patients of chronic diseases to get flu jabs

3 Oct 2022 By OUR CORRESPONDENT

Muscat – To prevent flu infection, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has announced that seasonal influenza vaccines will be available at its health centres.

In a statement, it said, ‘The Ministry of Health is administering the seasonal flu vaccine to the following target groups – people over the age of 50 years and those with chronic diseases (respiratory, heart, renal, liver, neurological, blood, and metabolic disorders, including uncontrolled diabetes and obesity) among adults and children, pilgrims and workers in the health sector, and pregnant women.

‘The ministry calls on all the groups mentioned above to head to the nearest health centre to receive the seasonal flu vaccine to avoid the influenza infection affecting the respiratory system, which can cause serious complications.’ MoH also said that the vaccine is available in private health institutions for citizens and residents who are not in the target group.

As many as 177 cases of seasonal influenza and two deaths resulting from it were recorded in the sultanate in 2020/2021, according MoH.

Outbreaks of seasonal flu, caused by influenza viruses, resulting in acute respiratory infection are witnessed in all parts of the world. Seasonal flu claimed 29 lives in Oman between July 2018 and June 2019. The number of cases in the 2019/2020 flu season, however, decreased due to precautionary measures adopted worldwide to counter the COVID-19 pandemic.

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