Dr. Hamad Al Rumaihi
The demand for the booster doses has increased and the government has designated several medical facilities for COVID-19 patients.
“Many medical facilities have been designated to take care of COVID-19 patients, including the Communicable Disease Centre, the Field Hospital under Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital and the Cuban Hospital,” said Dr. Hamad Al Rumaihi, Director of the Health Protection and Communicable Diseases Control Department at the Ministry of Public Health.
He also said that there are several hospitals that were providing services to COVID-19 patients earlier are ready if needed to join these hospitals.
Al Rumaihi explained, “The goal of the third dose is to protect public against the Omicron variant, which has spread to 107 countries around the world.
“The golden frame in Ehteraz gives several advantages, including exemption from quarantine in Qatar and entry to workplaces, restaurants, clubs, barbershops and other public places.”
“During the past two months, we have noticed an increase in the number of virus cases in community and perhaps the most affected segment is children, in addition to people who have had a decrease in immunity due to the passage of more than 6 months after the second dose of the vaccine, and with the advent of the winter season in which viruses spread more rapidly,” he added, while speaking to Qatar TV yesterday.
About the vaccination drive, he said that 86 percent of the population have been vaccinated and more than 5 million doses of vaccines have been provided in Qatar.
About the booster dose, Al Rumaihi noted that it started on September 15 and since then more than 247,000 people have received booster shots.
“We hope that the community will take the initiative to take the third dose and we expect an increase in the number of cases in the coming days,” he added.
He noted that new medical studies have shown that the protective immunity acquired from vaccines begins to decline six months after receiving the second dose.
