As per a new announcement by Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), the age threshold for COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to has been reduced 50 years of age. The change has been initiated as MOPH ramps up the National Strategic National Vaccination Plan against COVID-19.
Chair of the National Health Strategic Group on COVID-19 and Head of Infectious Diseases at Hamad Medical Corporation, Dr. Abdullatif Al Khal said “With the initial imported supply of vaccines limited, the early stages of our National Vaccination Program focused on protecting members of our community who were most at risk from severe complications due to COVID-19. We have recently received a regular supply of the vaccine more than before and with the availability of Moderna vaccine along with Pfizer vaccine, we can significantly expand the scale of our vaccination program and open the eligibility criteria to include more people in line with the MOPH Strategic Vaccination Plan against COVID-19”.
Due to this change, now the priority groups with eligibility for COVID-19 vaccination are people aged 50 years of age and above regardless of their health conditions, people with moderate chronic medical conditions at any age, additional healthcare professionals and other key workers in different ministries and government institutions , including teachers and administration staff in education.
Managing Director of PHCC, Dr. Mariam Abdulmalik further elucidated : “People who are eligible for the vaccine at this stage will be contacted directly by PHCC by SMS or phone call to arrange their appointment. Those who meet the criteria for the first priority groups can also request to schedule an appointment website to take the vaccine via the MOPH COVID-19 website.
People who register online but who are not in one of the listed priority groups will have their interest recorded and saved by the MOPH, and they will be contacted when they become eligible.”
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