*Vaccine is safe, provides protection 2 weeks after 2nd dose
More than 100,000 people have been vaccinated against Covid-19 in Qatar so far, disclosed a top health official on Wednesday.
“There is great demand for the vaccine among the public. So far, we have administered Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for over 100,000 people in the country,” said, Dr Soha al-Bayat, head of Vaccination, Ministry of Public Health ( MoPH) while answering questions about Covid-19 vaccine on an Instagram question and answer session on Wednesday.
During the session, Dr al-Bayat, urged everyone to register online for vaccination so that they can be contacted when eligible.
According to the official, it will take one to two weeks after the second dose of the vaccine to get full immunity against the virus.
“To reach the maximum level of antibodies, you need two weeks after the second dose of the vaccine. After you take the first dose, your body starts developing antibodies and it will increase day by day. When people take the second dose, it will help with more immunity as more antibodies are developed. So two weeks after the second dose, you will have sufficient protection,” she explained.
However, Dr al-Bayat reminded that the vaccine is up to 95 % effective, which is a great level of immunity and there is still 5% who may not develop sufficient antibodies.
“This is why we say at this time, you have to follow all the Covid-19 protocols such as social distancing, wearing mask and using sanitiser. You will have to continue same measures until certain percentage of people in the country are vaccinated, which make the virus very difficult to transit from one person to another,” she explained.
Dr al-Bayat remarked that Qatar has made agreements with Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna to get enough vaccine for the entire population of the country. “While at present we have received only Pfizer vaccine, we expect Moderna vaccine to reach the country soon,” she noted.
She also noted that the vaccine is not allergic to any food particles. “However, if you are allergic to one of the components of the vaccine, it is important that when you go to your healthcare provider to take the vaccine, mention your allergy and they would let you know if you are eligible or not,” she added.
