Along ensuring implementation of precautionary measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the country, Qatar is expanding its vaccination drive to include more people in the pivotal process for public health.
Qatar so far has vaccinated over 100,000 people. Qatar started vaccination drive with healthcare workers, aged individuals and people with chronic conditions but has now expanded the ambit to include teachers and school administration staff.
To accommodate this drive of giving vaccines to teachers, school administration staff, the Primary Health Care Corporation has also opened a mass vaccination center at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC).
The Ministry said that teachers and school administration staff will receive an SMS that invites them to attend the vaccination center during dedicated time slots. All schools in Qatar are open and have adopted hybrid model of in-person and online classes for the safety of students and staff.
This new drive of vaccinating teachers and school administration staff will definitely create more safety in schools against the infection. Prime Minister and Minister of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani also visited on Thursday the temporary COVID-19 vaccination centre, opened at QNCC.
The Prime Minister inspected the center run by the Primary Health Care Corporation in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH). The center’s first phase will focus on vaccinating teachers and school staff, in addition to other essential workers and community members who meet the eligibility criteria. In order to preserve the health of children in school along with the educational and administrative staff, the Ministry has also intensified its periodic and surprise inspection campaigns of public and private schools, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Safety Department and the Ministry of Public Health.
These inspection campaigns have shown that most of the schools are adhering to precautionary measures, while a number of schools have also failed in applying precautionary measures for which actions have also been taken against them.
Meanwhile Minister of Public Health H E Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari said on Thursday that the efforts in the National COVID-19 Vaccination Program focused on targeting the most at-risk populations such as the elderly, those with severe chronic conditions, healthcare workers, frontline workers and other essential workers. The Minister also called on everyone who is high risk or over 60 years of age who has not yet been vaccinated to make an appointment for the vaccination.
