Saudi launches kingdom-wide flu vaccination drive

November 5, 2014

Saudi vaccination Riyadh, Nov 5: The Ministry of Health will launch a Kingdom-wide vaccination campaign against the seasonal flu today.

Health Ministry Spokesman Dr. Khalid Al-Mirghalani said the vaccination is suitable for people of all age groups including health officials, pregnant women, patients suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes, renal problems, heart and thoracic diseases.

The flu shots will be available in all government hospitals and some 2,000 primary health care centers free-of-charge throughout the country. Health officials will visit schools to vaccinate children in the institutions. He added that the ministry would also carry out a health awareness campaign aimed at educating the masses on the importance of such vaccines during the onset of winter.

Speaking to Arab News, the director general of the Jeddah Directorate of Health Affairs in Jeddah, Dr. Sami Ba-Dawood, said the program is targeted to combat seasonal influenza that erupts during the cold season. However, he added that the seasonal flu can have other interactions with viruses such as MERS. “A timely flu shot could help prevent from influenza as well as it could prevent serious consequences of the fever,” he added.

Influenza is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Every flu season is different, and an influenza infection can affect people differently. Even healthy people can get very sick from the flu and spread it to others. Over a period of 31 seasons between 1976 and 2007, estimates of flu-associated deaths in the United States range from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people.

During a regular flu season, about 90 percent of flu-related deaths occur in people 65 years and older. “Flu season” in the United States can begin as early as October and last as late as May.

Meanwhile, the ministry announced two more fresh cases of MERS corona virus in Riyadh on Tuesday, bringing the total to 793 during the past two years.

Since June 2012, 338 MERS-related deaths were reported in the Kingdom. According to reports, the total number of people who recovered fully from the disease stood at 440, while 15 are currently receiving treatment in hospitals in various parts of the Kingdom.

The most recent MERS patients were a Saudi woman and an expatriate man, who were aged 31 and 33, respectively, in the capital. The majority of the recent MERS cases occurred in Taif, Madinah, Riyadh, Jeddah, Al-Jouf, Najran, Hofuf, Hafr Al-Batain and Jubail.

In consideration of the rise in sporadic cases of the virus in some parts of the Kingdom, the ministry has reiterated its appeal to the public to take preventive measures against the virus. It has advised people to avoid contact with camels and refrain from visiting MERS infected persons. Basic hygiene such as handwashing should be strictly followed before meals.

The ministry launched a Kingdom-wide awareness campaign on MERS corona virus in cooperation with the World Health Organization directly after Labor Minister Adel Fakeih took over duties as acting health minister.

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All you need to know about Saudi Arabia's Tawakkalna App

coastaldigest.com web desk

May 21,2020

The Tawakkalna application developed by Saudi Arabia's National Information Centre to processes requests for movement permits during the curfew to curb the spread of the virus has become a major helplnine for past few weeks.

The application developed through the close cooperation between the Ministry of Health and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) was launched on May 4.

According to Saudi Telecom Group, it handles 20,000 calls daily through the Tawakkalna platform by dedicating a call centre of 600 employees through its Contact Centre Company (CCC).

The Tawakkalna app can be used to issue e-permits for a selected group of government and private sector employees who were exempted from the curfew, and individuals who have medical appointments as well as couriers.

Tawakkalna has features for the service of citizens and residents, for ensuring their safety and comfort that would contribute to facilitating the access of authorized persons to travel permits.

The official page about Tawakkalna on Twitter, says: “You must always keep in mind that pinpointing your exact location of residence is the only way for you to benefit from the app’s range of services and permits.”

The app will also provide the latest alerts and medical news issued by the Ministry of Health about the virus as well as about its spread, ways to prevent it and movement permits.

Tawakkalna can be used for self-disclosure for people who show signs of coronavirus infection and for requesting ambulance service and other important services for the community.

Through the app users can apply for a one-hour permit for a walk in the neighborhood on a daily basis, thereby encouraging walking during this period of lockdown.

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sir,

i am facing problem for receiving OTP code during registration for my family. i am unable to get OTP code.

please assist.

Entering date of birth is the big problem is the big problem of this app.

Dob entering problem

Hi,

I am trying to register in the Tawakkalna app, but it keeps on throwing error. Any idea?

thanx

B I

R8NEB24

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UAE records 873 new corona cases; tally reaches 25,063 including 227 deaths

News Network

May 19,2020

Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates today reported 873 new coronavirus cases, pushing the total number of COVID-19 infections in the country to 25,063.

Three more people have died from the virus, bringing the total death toll to 227, the ministry revealed, adding that a total of 1,214 COVID-19 patients have made full recovery, which takes the overall number of patients recovered to 10,791.

The latest coronavirus patients, all of whom are in a stable condition and receiving the necessary care, were identified after conducting more than 38,000 additional COVID-19 tests among UAE citizens and residents over the past few days, the ministry said.

It expressed its sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and wished a speedy recovery to all patients, calling on the public to cooperate with health authorities and comply with all precautionary measures, particularly social distancing protocols, to ensure the safety and protection of the public.

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Oman sultan Qaboos dies: State media

Agencies

January 11,2020

Muscat, Jan 11: Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin Said has died, Aljazeera reported citing state television on Friday.

Qaboos was 79-year-old and was ill for a long time. He has served as the ruler of Oman since 1970 when he ousted his father in a bloodless coup.

Qaboos had no children and has not publicly named his successor.

Sultan Qaboos travelled to Belgium for a week in December for what was described then as "medical checks." He returned to Oman but speculations of his deteriorating health were rife.

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