The Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) is now administering the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine across all 27 health centres, Qatar National Convention Centre as well as at the Lusail City and Al Wakra drive-through vaccination centres.
The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) had in February issued emergency use authorisation for Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine, the second coronavirus vaccine to be approved for use in Qatar.
Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine was approved after the MoPH’s Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Control carried out an extensive review of the vaccine and assessed the results of clinical studies conducted on tens of thousands of volunteers. This approval, follows similar authorisation of Moderna’s vaccine by health agencies in the US, Canada, the European Union, the UK and Switzerland.
Dr Samya Abdulla, executive director of operations at PHCC, said: “The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have shown equivalent degrees of efficacy. Both vaccines have shown efficacy of 95% at preventing symptomatic Covid infection after two doses."
She said the minor side effects reported in some people after the second dose were a sign of the immune system kicking in. "To date, there are no serious, long-term side effects associated with receipt of these vaccines, which will be closely monitored as their use expands.”
Currently, the Pfizer vaccine can be given to people aged 16 years and above while Moderna is for use on those aged 18 years and older. The availability of the Moderna vaccine, along with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, has enabled the expansion of the vaccination programme in Qatar and, as both types of vaccines are suitable for all priority groups, those receiving vaccines are not offered a preference.
The appointment process remains the same with PHCC teams continuing to make direct contact with people who meet the current eligibility criteria and schedule them for appointments.
People can register their interest in receiving the Covid-19 vaccine via the MoPH website, and will then be contacted when it’s their turn to have the vaccine.
More people in ICU now than during peak of first Covid-19 wave in May 2020
Officials at the Ministry of Public Health and Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) have said the UK Covid-19 variant has been a significant factor in the recent increase in people admitted to intensive care units at HMC. Also, the number of people receiving life-saving medical treatment in intensive care units has more than doubled since the middle of March, and there are more people are in ICUs now than during the peak of the first Covid-19 wave in May 2020, according to one of the officials.
Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine was approved after the MoPH’s Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Control carried out an extensive review of the vaccine and assessed the results of clinical studies conducted on tens of thousands of volunteers. This approval, follows similar authorisation of Moderna’s vaccine by health agencies in the US, Canada, the European Union, the UK and Switzerland.
Dr Samya Abdulla, executive director of operations at PHCC, said: “The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have shown equivalent degrees of efficacy. Both vaccines have shown efficacy of 95% at preventing symptomatic Covid infection after two doses."
She said the minor side effects reported in some people after the second dose were a sign of the immune system kicking in. "To date, there are no serious, long-term side effects associated with receipt of these vaccines, which will be closely monitored as their use expands.”
Currently, the Pfizer vaccine can be given to people aged 16 years and above while Moderna is for use on those aged 18 years and older. The availability of the Moderna vaccine, along with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, has enabled the expansion of the vaccination programme in Qatar and, as both types of vaccines are suitable for all priority groups, those receiving vaccines are not offered a preference.
The appointment process remains the same with PHCC teams continuing to make direct contact with people who meet the current eligibility criteria and schedule them for appointments.
People can register their interest in receiving the Covid-19 vaccine via the MoPH website, and will then be contacted when it’s their turn to have the vaccine.
More people in ICU now than during peak of first Covid-19 wave in May 2020
Officials at the Ministry of Public Health and Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) have said the UK Covid-19 variant has been a significant factor in the recent increase in people admitted to intensive care units at HMC. Also, the number of people receiving life-saving medical treatment in intensive care units has more than doubled since the middle of March, and there are more people are in ICUs now than during the peak of the first Covid-19 wave in May 2020, according to one of the officials.
