HE the Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari said that Qatar is continuing with the coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccination programme as planned. In remarks made during the inauguration of a new Covid-19 Drive-Through Vaccination Center on Monday in Lusail, the minister said this initiative will provide another option for the population to get their vaccines in the car.
She noted that the drive-through PCR testing centres were very popular. The drive-through centre is part of Qatar's strategy to upscale its National Covid-19 Vaccination Programme. Operated by Hamad Medical Corporation, in collaboration with Primary Health Care Corporation, the centre will provide a significant boost to the vaccination programme and administer second doses to eligible people.
For his part, Dr Abdullatif al-Khal, who is the Chair of the National Health Strategic Group on Covid-19 and Head of Infectious Diseases at Hamad Medical Corp, said that the new Covid-19 Drive-Through Vaccination Center has been designed to provide a convenient way for people to receive their vaccinations. He added that the vaccines are administered in a discreet manner within a dedicated vaccination lane which cars can drive through, while the vaccine recipient remains in the comfort of their own vehicle.
He noted that the centre will boost the vaccination programme and enable the vaccination of a greater number of people.
Visitors to the centre will undergo a pre-vaccination assessment and be asked to wait in their vehicle in a designated observation area after receiving the vaccine to ensure they do not have a reaction to the vaccine.
Paramedic teams will be on site in the unlikely event that anyone has a reaction requiring emergency medical support.
Meanwhile, Managing Director of PHCC Dr Mariam Abdulmalik said that the centre does not operate with an appointment system, but eligible people are required to attend on the set date of their second dose.
"People do not need an appointment to attend the drive-through centre, they can simply visit on the day of their scheduled second dose, 21 days after their first dose, and they will be seen on a first-come-first-seen basis. Our PHCC teams will schedule eligible people in for their second dose at the Covid-19 Drive-Through Vaccination Center at the time of their first dose appointment at one of our primary health centers," she said.