The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has announced that with effect from February 1, 2022, the validity of Covid-19 vaccine immunity after the second dose will be reduced from 12 months to nine.
"There is clear medical evidence that protective immunity from Covid-19 infection begins to decline six months after the second dose of an approved vaccine," an official statement said while explaining that the policy change is to ensure the health and safety of the population.
According to the new policy, individuals whose second dose of Covid-19 vaccine of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or AstraZeneca was more than nine months ago on February 1, 2022 will be considered unvaccinated and lose their Gold Frame (immunised) status on Ehteraz.
Receiving a booster vaccine dose will reinstate their Gold Frame status for a further nine months. This aligns Qatar with the protective actions being taken by other countries in the region and the world, to address the ongoing pandemic.
The Ehteraz Gold Frame status gives individuals certain privileges under the current Phase Four of the Gradual Lifting of Covid-19 Restrictions and the change to the 9-month validity will also apply to vaccination certificates when used to enter Qatar following travel abroad and for visitors to the country.
Following the detection of the first Omicron cases in Qatar, in addition to the increase in new Covid-19 daily cases over the past two months, the MoPH warned that this is a critical period in the fight against the virus and it is vitally important that all eligible members of the community get their booster vaccine without delay.
The Ministry stated that recent studies show booster doses to be effective at preventing severe infection against the Omicron variant as well as other circulating variants.
Booster doses are being administered to individuals who had their second dose more than six months ago and to date, more than 240,000 booster vaccine doses have safely been administered in Qatar, with no severe side effects reported.
Booster vaccines are also available at all Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) health centres and PHCC is directly contacting people who are eligible for the booster vaccine dose to set an appointment. Anyone who is eligible and has not yet been contacted can call the PHCC hotline on 4027 7077 or use the PHCC’s mobile app, Nar’aakom, to schedule an appointment. Prior appointments are needed before visiting a health centre and no walk-in appointments will be given.
*Ehteraz Gold Frame to disappear from Feb 1, 2022, if nine months have elapsed after second dose
*Booster will reinstate the Gold Frame status for a further nine months
*Change to 9-month validity will also apply to vaccination certificates to enter Qatar following travel abroad and for visitors to country
