MOPH Parises Qatar's Efforts to Expand National COVID-19 Vaccination

Minister of Public Health Parises Qatar's Efforts to Expand National COVID-19 Vaccination Program

HE Minister of Public Health Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari has praised the great efforts made by Qatar to expand the national vaccination program against the Coronavirus (Covid-19).

HE the Minister of Public Health also announced that a second drive-through vaccination center will be opened tomorrow in Al Wakra, following the success of Qatar's first COVID-19 Drive-Through Vaccination Center in Lusail.

Her Excellency added that the drive-through vaccination center in Al Wakra would further strengthen the National COVID-19 Vaccination Program and boost access to vaccines for people living in Al Wakra and the surrounding areas.

"Since opening at the end of February, the Lusail COVID-19 Drive-Through Vaccination Center has provided a convenient way for tens of thousands of people to receive their second vaccine dose and has been an important part of our strategy to expand the vaccination program," said HE the Minister of Public Health.

"Due to the recent availability of larger quantities of vaccines we have been able to significantly increase the pace of the National COVID-19 Vaccination Program and we are now administering more than 130,000 vaccine doses a week in more than 35 vaccination sites across Qatar. The opening of a second drive-through center in Al Wakra will enable us to continue to expand the vaccination program and support our efforts to protect Qatars population from the threat of COVID-19," added Her Excellency.

"The Al Wakra COVID-19 Drive-Through Vaccination Center will operate in the same manner as the Lusail Center, with both facilities catering for people receiving their second dose of either the Pfizer and BioNTech or Moderna vaccine," said Dr. Abdullatif Al Khal, Chair of the National Health Strategic Group on COVID-19 and Head of Infectious Diseases at Hamad Medical Corporation.

PHCC will notify eligible people if their second dose will be administered at one of the drive-through centers, a primary health center or Qatar National Convention Center. People do not need a time-specific appointment to attend the drive-through centers, they can attend at any time during operational hours on the due day of their second dose.

Dr. Al Khal stressed that people should not visit the drive-through centers before the due day of their second dose. "Our vaccination teams will not administer the second dose earlier than the due date as this could negatively impact the effectiveness of the vaccine. Individuals who have received the Pfizer vaccine should attend for their second dose 21 days after the first dose, and for those receiving the Moderna vaccine the second dose is given 28 days after the first dose," he explained.

The Al Wakra Drive-Through Center is located behind Al Janoub Stadium and is operational from 11am to 10pm, 7 days a week. Last entrance to the Center is 9pm daily. 

(QNA)