MoPH to intensify efforts in giving booster dose in Qatar

COVID-19 booster vaccine in Qatar

As Qatar has completed a year since the launch of its largest vaccination campaign, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) will soon intensify its efforts to administer the COVID-19 booster dose to all fully vaccinated people in the country, said a senior health official yesterday.

To date, 86% of the total population is fully vaccinated with two doses. Since December 23, 2020, the National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme has administered more than 5 million doses of vaccines, according to the Chair of the National Health Strategic Group on COVID-19 and Head of Infectious Diseases at Hamad Medical Corporation, Dr Abdullatif Al Khal.

“We still need to give the booster dose to all who took the two doses of the vaccine more than six months ago, and there are intensive efforts that will be announced soon,” added Dr. Al Khal while speaking in a programme on Qatar TV.

MoPH earlier announced that it will open a vaccination center in Umm Salal to provide booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Since September this year, a total of 223,447 COVID-19 booster vaccine doses have been administered. According to Dr. Al Khal preliminary studies have shown that existing vaccines are effective against the Omicron strain.

“As per many studies, after four to six months of second dose, the immunity begins to reduce against the Delta virus, and for Omicron, the immunity is very less,” said Dr. Al Khal. 

“We call on everyone to take the booster vaccine. The side effects after this dose do not exceed the symptoms after the previous doses, so there is no need to be afraid,” he assured. 

How to get a booster shot in Qatar?

COVID-19 booster doses are administered at all Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) health centers and PHCC is directly contacting people who are eligible for the booster vaccine dose to set an appointment. 

Also, anyone who is eligible and has not yet been contacted can call the PHCC hotline on 4027 7077 to schedule an appointment.

Answering a question about Omicron cases detected in Qatar, Dr. Al Khal said that all four individuals were returning from travel and in quarantine, while none of them needed hospital admission.

“Omicron is expected to become the dominant strain around the world, as we have seen in United States, where three out of four infections are omicron variant,” he stressed.

The chief health official also advised the public to wear a mask and maintain social distance in closed places, especially in coming days, as it is very effective in preventing the virus.