* People can visit the Lusail centre on the day of their scheduled second dose: MoPH

No appointment is needed to attend the new Drive-Through Vaccination Centre in Lusail to get the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has said.

The centre was opened on Monday as part of Qatar’s strategy to further enhance its National Covid-19 Vaccination Programme. Only people receiving their second vaccine dose will be eligible to visit the drive-through centre.

Operated by Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), in collaboration with Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), the centre will provide a significant boost to the vaccination programme and administer second doses to eligible people.

Providing key information on the centre through an advisory and maps on social media on Tuesday, the MoPH said 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," the advisory said.

PHCC teams will schedule eligible people in for their second dose at the Covid-19 Drive-Through Vaccination Centre at the time of their first dose appointment at one of its primary health centres.

The centre is located in Lusail, behind the Lusail Multipurpose Hall. The operating hours are from 11am to 10pm, seven days a week. Last entry to the centre will be at 9pm.

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani had on Monday inspected the drive-through centre. He was briefed on the functioning of the centre and the drive-through vaccination mechanism for those who meet the requirements to take the vaccine’s second dose.

On her part, HE the Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari said “Qatar is well on its way in the rollout of its vaccination programme and, as per our strategy, we are now making drive-through vaccination an option for our population. Our first drive-through PCR testing centres have been very popular and continue to be successful with high visiting volumes."

Visitors to the centre will undergo a pre-vaccination assessment and are 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.

Dr Abdullatif al-Khal, chair of the National Health Strategic Group on Covid-19 and head of Infectious Diseases at HMC, said the vaccine is administered in a discreet manner within a dedicated vaccination lane which cars can drive through, while the recipients remain in the comfort of their vehicle.

PHCC managing director Dr Mariam Abdulmalik said the centre does not operate with an appointment system, but eligible people are required to attend on the set date of their second dose.