Oman eyes access to anti-coronavirus vaccine

Cairo: Oman is seeking to obtain 700,000 doses of a new vaccine treating the new coronavirus once it is produced, Health Minister Dr Ahmed Al Saeed has said.

Oman is fighting to curb the spread of the potentially fa-tal disease. The sultanate so far has reported a total of 77,058 virus cases and 393 related fatalities.

"There is constant and continued coordination between the sultanate represented by the Health Ministry and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) to obtain 700,000 doses of the anti-coronavirus vaccine fol-lowing its production," Dr Al Saeed told the Omani news agency ONA.

He added that his ministry is acting at several levels to get the vaccine after its safety and effectiveness are ver-ified. "The sultanate seeks participation in developing research related to this vaccine to guarante the right to obtain it once it is manufactured," he added without giv-ing details.

In recent weeks, Oman has seen a spike in the virus in-fections, prompting authorities to tighten preventive measures.

The country began this week enforcing a full lockdown among its governorates for two weeks, including the Eid Al Adha holiday, in an effort to curb the spread of the pandemic.