* No Covid-19 deaths in Qatar among fully vaccinated people
* Only 1.6% of Covid-19 admissions to hospital inpatient units are for fully vaccinated people since January 1
* Non-vaccinated people of all ages 61 times more likely to be admitted to hospital inpatient units with Covid-19 than fully vaccinated people
* Only 1% of Covid-19 ICU admissions have been for fully vaccinated people since start of year
* Non-vaccinated people of all ages 91 times more likely to be admitted to ICU with Covid-19 than fully vaccinated people

 

There is clear evidence in Qatar that the Covid-19 vaccines are offering high levels of protection against the virus and preventing people from becoming sick, Dr Muna al-Maslamani, medical director of the Communicable Disease Center (CDC) at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), has said.

"Extensive clinical trials have shown the Pfizer and BioNTech and Moderna vaccines to be around 95% effective at preventing symptomatic infection. This does not mean vaccinated people are immune to the virus or cannot contract it, but it means they are very unlikely to develop severe symptoms and become ill in the event that they do contract Covid-19," she explained.

No vaccine is ever 100% effective and a very small number of people may still become sick due to Covid-19, even if they are fully vaccinated, Dr al-Maslamani said. "However, we are already seeing very encouraging evidence in Qatar of the effectiveness of the vaccines in preventing severe illness," she noted. "There have been no Covid-19 deaths in Qatar among people who are fully vaccinated, and since January 1, 2021, 12,249 people have been admitted to hospital with Covid-19 and just 197 of them had been fully vaccinated.

"This means just 1.6% of Covid-19 admissions to hospital inpatient units are for fully vaccinated people. In Qatar, non-vaccinated people of all ages are 61 times more likely to be admitted to hospital inpatient units with Covid-19 than fully vaccinated people."

Dr al-Maslamani explained that for fully vaccinated people, the likelihood of being admitted to intensive care due to Covid-19 is even lower. "Since the start of the year, we have had 1,766 Covid-19 admissions to ICU and just 19 of these patients had been fully vaccinated. So, just 1% of Covid-19 ICU admissions have been for fully vaccinated people. In fact, in Qatar, non-vaccinated people of all ages are 91 times more likely to be admitted to ICU with Covid-19 than fully vaccinated people."

To date, a little over 40% of the eligible population in Qatar has received at least one vaccine dose and 22% has received both doses.