H.E. Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed al-Saidi, Minister of Health presided over today Wednesday at Grand Millennium Hotel a meeting to discuss the preparations of National Measles Immunization Campaign (NMIC) in the second phase for the age group (20 – 35).

The Ministry of Health (MOH), represented by the Directorate-General for Diseases Surveillance & Control (DGDSC), implemented this national campaign that includes the Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The second phase will be carried out during the period from 10 to 16 of September 2017.

The MOH undersecretaries and health affairs advisor, along with number of senior officials from the Ministry, the Directorates General of Health Services in the Governorates, the regional hospitals, as well as representatives from the civil and military health institutions in the Sultanate have attended the meeting.

The meeting reviewed the challenges, and the achievements that were made during the first phase of the campaign, which included the governorates of Dhofar and Al-Wusta.

Training workshop was carried out prior to this meeting for the health workers from the public and private sectors, as well as military health institutions in order to recognize the mechanism of planning and readiness of implementing this campaign.

The Minister pointed out in his speech that the Sultanate is in the phase of elimination of measles and rubella, which adopted several strategies including epidemiological surveillance plans and preventive measures. He also urged all citizens and residents to take the vaccine from nearest health institutions.  

Thus, the MOH calls all citizens and residents aged between 20 – 35 (born in 1997 – 1982) to head to the health institutions and vaccination center to take the free-of-cost vaccine in order to protect themselves from the disease.