The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid -19 vaccine, which is to arrive today, for emergency use in Qatar .
“In implementation of the directives of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani regarding the arrival of the first shipment of the Covid-19 vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech on Monday, and the directives of HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani to provide this vaccine to everyone according to health standards set by the Ministry of Public Health, the health ministry has issued the approval and registration of Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine,” the official Qatar News Agency yesterday said.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is one of the two vaccines the MoPH has secured agreements to purchase.
The Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine was approved after the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Control in MoPH conducted a thorough review of the vaccine and the results of clinical studies conducted on a wide range of volunteers. Their review showed that the vaccine is safe and effective in accordance with international standards.
Dr Abdullatif Al Khal, Chair of the National Health Strategic Group on Covid-19 and Head of Infectious Diseases at Hamad Medical Corporation, said: “The comprehensive clinical trial process undertaken on Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine has showed it is safe and 95% effective. Despite the speed at which the vaccine has been developed and tested, the usual strict testing and approval process has been followed.”
“Starting this month and continuing throughout 2021 we will undertake the biggest vaccine programme ever delivered in Qatar. For now, it is just as important as ever that people continue to wear their masks and follow all the precautionary measures because we are still seeing people being admitted to hospital and intensive care with Covid-19,” added Dr al-Khal.
The Director of Pharmacy and Drug Control, the Chair of the Vaccine Procurement Taskforce Qatar Dr Aisha Ibrahim al-Ansari said: “We announced the authorised supply of Pfizer and BioNTech Covid-19 mRNA vaccine for emergency use in Qatar, for people aged 16 years and older. This comes after a rigorous process throughout which we have looked at all the evidence provided by Pfizer and BioNTech and are more than satisfied that this is a safe and effective vaccine.”
MoPH
