The first shipment of the Moderna vaccine will arrive in Qatar "hopefully by the end of the month", a senior health official has said. Dr Soha al-Bayat, head of vaccination at the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), said this in a statement addressing a number of key issues pertaining to Covid-19 vaccination in the country.
Following are the questions and answers highlighted in the statement.
1. Since the emergency approval has been announced, when will Moderna available in Qatar ?
We are looking forward for the first shipment from Moderna to arrive in the State of Qatar soon. Hopefully by the end of the month, if possible.
2. What is the difference between the Moderna and Pfizer- BioNTech vaccines?
Both vaccines are very similar in the mechanism used to produce the vaccine. They are also equal in their effectiveness and safety. A minor difference is in the storage requirements, while the approved age for Pfizer is 16 years and above but for Moderna it is 18 years and above. Also, regarding the gap between the two doses, for Pfizer it is 21 days but for Moderna it is 28 days.
3. When will the next phase of vaccination begin?
Hopefully very soon. We ask all to be patient as we have to prioritise those who are at higher risk and the circle of eligibility will be expanded as per the National Vaccination Plan that is published.
She also said it is "important to note that registration on the website to request for an appointment for vaccination is available to all in Qatar and those who register will be contacted when the meet the criteria as per the phases of the campaign".
On Wednesday, the MoPH announced that it had issued an emergency use authorisation for Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine. This is the second Covid-19 vaccine, after the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, to be approved for use in Qatar by the MoPH.
Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine was approved after the ministry’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. The MoPH approval follows similar authorisation of Moderna’s vaccine by health agencies in the US, Canada, the European Union, the UK and Switzerland.
1. Since the emergency approval has been announced, when will Moderna available in Qatar ?
We are looking forward for the first shipment from Moderna to arrive in the State of Qatar soon. Hopefully by the end of the month, if possible.
2. What is the difference between the Moderna and Pfizer- BioNTech vaccines?
Both vaccines are very similar in the mechanism used to produce the vaccine. They are also equal in their effectiveness and safety. A minor difference is in the storage requirements, while the approved age for Pfizer is 16 years and above but for Moderna it is 18 years and above. Also, regarding the gap between the two doses, for Pfizer it is 21 days but for Moderna it is 28 days.
3. When will the next phase of vaccination begin?
Hopefully very soon. We ask all to be patient as we have to prioritise those who are at higher risk and the circle of eligibility will be expanded as per the National Vaccination Plan that is published.
She also said it is "important to note that registration on the website to request for an appointment for vaccination is available to all in Qatar and those who register will be contacted when the meet the criteria as per the phases of the campaign".
On Wednesday, the MoPH announced that it had issued an emergency use authorisation for Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine. This is the second Covid-19 vaccine, after the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, to be approved for use in Qatar by the MoPH.
Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine was approved after the ministry’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. The MoPH approval follows similar authorisation of Moderna’s vaccine by health agencies in the US, Canada, the European Union, the UK and Switzerland.