‘No change in travel policy for vaccinated’
Gulf Times
Dr Yousef al-Maslamani
Staff Reporter
The travel and return policy in Qatar has not changed for those who received both doses of a Covid-19 vaccine or those who also got the booster dose, a senior health official said. Hamad General Hospital’s medical director Dr Yousef al-Maslamani was participating in the Social Distance programme on Qatar TV on Monday night. “Many studies over the past few months have indicated that the immunity provided by two doses of the vaccine wanes after six months and keeps dropping further and hence the requirement of a third dose as a booster,” he explained. “Many countries have entered the fourth wave of the pandemic. So, there is a change in the spread of the virus due to the failure to vaccinate many. This is one of the reasons for the increase in cases during the fourth wave in Qatar,” he said. The official pointed out that travellers must expect changes in the travel and return policy, explaining that Qatar announces any such change in advance. Travellers must take into account the pandemic situation in all countries before travelling. “Lifting the test and quarantine requirements may result in the disease spreading more in Qatar in addition to significantly increase the possibility of any new variant entering the country” he said. Dr al-Maslamani added that the golden frame of Ehteraz will disappear after a year of the second dose of the vaccine (if the booster dose is not taken).
