DUBAI (Reuters) – Oman on Tuesday said it was expanding its COVID-19 vaccination drive to anyone over the age of 18, as it accelerates what has been the slowest rollout in the Gulf.
The wider coverage takes effect on Sunday, the health ministry said in a statement on state media. Previously, people over 45 had been eligible for COVID shots, alongside special categories such as frontline workers and pregnant women.
Media reports have said recently that hospitals nationwide were straining amid a rise in cases since January. The country has recorded 266,536 cases and 3,056 deaths in total.
Oman aims to vaccinate everyone 12 and over by the end of the year.
By mid-April, Oman had given at least one dose to around 5% of the eligible population. This had increased to 24% by June 26, according to health ministry data. A quarter of those vaccinated so far have had two doses, it showed.
Data shows 854,274 doses have been given in the country of around 4.5 million people.
(Writing by Lisa Barrington; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
