The Ministry of Health (MOH), represented by the Directorate General of Diseases Surveillance & Control (DGDSC), Department of Control of Communicable Diseases, launched today (Monday) the Rotavirus vaccine and the Fourth Edition of the National Guidelines and the Omani Immunization Manual under the auspice of H.E. Dr. Hilal bin Ali Al-Sabti, Minister of Health and the presence of H.E. Dr. Said bin Harib Al-Lamki, MOH Undersecretary for Health Affairs at W Hotel.
The national immunization strategy is the roadmap identifying the immunization vision in the Sultanate of Oman in the coming years 2030. The strategic vision includes a package of targets and activities that will be carried out in this field.
Rotaviruses are the most common cause of diarrheal disease among infants and young children. The signs and symptoms of rotavirus are fever, watery diarrhea, vomiting, stool with blood or pus, tiredness, irritability and dehydration.
Rotavirus vaccine is a vaccine used to protect against rotavirus infections, which are the leading cause of severe diarrhea among young children & it is given by administering drops in the child’s mouth. The Rotavirus vaccine has been included in the national immunization schedule for children born after the 1st of November 2023 with two doses; the first dose at two months of age and the second dose at the fourth months of age.
On this occasion, H.E. Dr. Hilal bin Ali Al-Sabti, Minister of Health, indicated that Oman has been going ahead with a lot of initiatives, which is demonstrated by the the huge achievements over the past years. The Minister of Health stressed that equality and accessibility are the most important elements of the vaccination field. He added that vaccines are needed for a healthier community with international standards.
H.E. Dr. Said bin Harib Al-Lamki, MOH Undersecretary for Health Affairs pointed out that Oman has made great strides in increasing immunization coverage rates for all targeted groups and eradicating communicable diseases.
In addition, the MOH Undersecretary for Health Affairs stressed that the number of cases of diarrhea due to rotavirus reached about 111 million annually, including more than two million admissions and more than 600.000 deaths. At the national level, the annual prevalence of rotavirus is estimated at 60.000 cases, including 6000 admissions at a rate of 36% of admitted patients. This will contribute to reducing the admission rate by 90%.
H.E. Dr. Said bin Harib Al-Lamki indicated that the Omani immunization manual, which was issued by a ministerial decision No. 274/2023, will identify the roles and responsibilities for all related medical staff and competent technical directorates in order to improve the immunization program and achieve the intended goals at all levels.
Furthermore, the National Immunization Program has made significant achievements in combating infectious diseases, the most important of which is that the Sultanate of Oman achieved the highest global rates in Effective Vaccine Management in 2016 and in 2019 the World Health Organization declared that Oman is free of measles and rubella.
It is worth mentioning that the National Immunization Program includes 14 approved vaccines. The coverage rate of basic vaccines targeted groups is more than 99% of all doses of various types of vaccines, which resulted in a significant decline in morbidity and mortality rates caused by communicable diseases among children, especially infant deaths and children under five.
