MUSCAT : The first batch of 15,600 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will arrive in Oman today.
The vaccine has received authorisation for emergency use from regulators in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and several other countries. During trials, the vaccine was found to be around 95 per cent effective in preventing COVID-19.
Who are in the priority list?
The vaccine is recommended for all people aged 16 years and above. In Oman, the first priority are for people with chronic diseases, frontline workers. “People with diabetes who are over 65 years old are eligible to also receive the vaccine. Those with kidney failure are eligible to be vaccinated, regardless of their age,” a Ministry of Health official informed The Arabian Stories.
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How many doses are required?
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires two doses, given 21 days apart, to prepare the immune system to fight off the coronavirus. It uses a prime-and-boost strategy: the first dose alerts the immune system, and the second one gets the system worked up.
The efficacy after the first dose is 52 per cent, and it rises to around 95 per cent after the second dose, according to the New York Times.
Oman will begin the vaccination campaign on Sunday, December 27 with His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Al Saidi taking the first dose.
