People availing the Coronavirus jab must not change the type of vaccine between doses, advised Dr. Ahmed Bin Mohammed Al-Saidi, the Minister of Health, as he cleared the air on whether people can mix brands.

The statement came after Oman received 100,000 vials of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine yesterday [Saturday, January 30]. This will be administered alongside the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine that is currently being administered to select people in Oman.

In a statement to the Oman News Agency (ONA), the minister said that it is not possible for those who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to receive a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The Minister also stated that the preliminary indication is that the vaccines are effective against the new strains of the virus. So far, Oman has recorded four cases of the new strain of virus.

Speaking to the media, the minister said: “The Serum Institute of India (SII) is one of the largest vaccine factories in the world.

“The Minister confirms that the step to obtain the vaccine reinforces the global efforts aimed at overcoming the Coronavirus pandemic and to make vaccines available among all people of the world.”

The vaccine’s safety has been laboratory-confirmed, and it must be administered within an interval of at least 4 weeks between the first and second dose.