DOHA, 15 April — Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health announced that 81 per cent of people over the age of 60 received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, since the beginning of the National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme.
“Reaching this milestone of four out of five people over 60 years of age – the most vulnerable members of our population – being vaccinated against COVID-19 is hugely encouraging.” Said Dr. Hanadi Al Hamad, National Health Strategy 2018-2022 Lead for Healthy Ageing.
“After an incredibly challenging year for people here in Qatar, and indeed around the world, the roll out of the vaccination programme is enabling people to become protected from COVID-19 and significantly reduce their risk of sickness,” she added.
Senior citizens and people over the age of 60 are much more vulnerable to face severe complications when contracting the virus, as they are more likely to need hospitalisation, and admission to intensive care units or ventilators.
Dr. Hanadi Al Hamad said that the vaccines used in Qatar are highly effective at preventing severe sickness, as the data researched in Qatar shows that within the over 60s age group, non-vaccinated individuals are 40 times more likely to be admitted to ICU compared to those who are fully vaccinated.
Qatar offers 27 Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) health centres for people over 60 to receive their COVID-19 vaccines.
Source: The Peninsula/Agencies
