Oman is the only GCC state that has excluded migrants in its free vaccination drive. Migrants comprise over 40% of the 5.2 million population of the Sultanate. Though the government has promised to vaccinate migrants, only a handful have received free vaccines and no timeline for expansion has been provided.
So far, regular migrants in Oman have had to vaccinate themselves in the private sector - Opens in new tab or according to the arrangements made by the businesses in which they work. The cost of two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for migrants in Oman is currently set at OMR 46 (USD 120).
According to sources, Oman recently made limited quantities of Sinovac vaccines available to both citizens and non-citizens free of charge, after the Sultanate received - Opens in new tab 100,000 doses of the vaccines from the Chinese government.
The Sinovac vaccine, which has been recently approved by the World's Health Organization - Opens in new tab, is currently not approved by other GCC states. The vaccine has also been called into question over its efficacy - Opens in new tab in providing immunity against Covid-19. On the other hand, the Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines, which are approved by all GCC states, are provided free of charge only to Omani citizens.
Additionally, most instructions and posts regarding Covid-19 vaccination on Oman’s Health Ministry’s social media platforms are in Arabic and exclusively aimed at Omani citizens.
