Moderna vaccine at all 27 PHCC Health Centers, QNCC and Drive-Through Vaccination Centers

The Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) is now administering the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine across all 27 health centers, as well as at Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC), with teams from HMC team administering the vaccine in Lusail City and Al Wakra Drive-Through Vaccination Centers, PHCC said in a statement Monday. The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) issued emergency use authorization, back in February, of Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine, the second Covid-19 vaccine to be approved for use in Qatar by the MoPH, said the statement. 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, by the MOPH, follows similar authorization of Moderna’s vaccine by health agencies in the United States, Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. Dr. Samya Abdulla, Executive Director of Operations at Primary Health Care Corporation said: “The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have shown equivalent degrees of efficacy, both vaccines showed efficacy of 95% at preventing symptomatic Covid infection after two doses. The most common side effects recorded are injection site pain, fatigue, headache, and muscle pain, with very few people reporting a fever. With the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, side effects are more common after the second dose. These side effects are a sign of the immune system kicking in. They do not signal that the vaccine is unsafe. 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 older while Moderna’s is for use in those 18 and older. The availability of Moderna vaccines, along with the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines, has enabled the expansion of the vaccination program in Qatar and, as both types of vaccine 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. One can register the interest to receive the Covid-19 vaccine via the MoPH website, and then be contacted when it is the turn to have the vaccine.