Work continues at good pace at QNCC vaccination centre
• More than 500 workers deployed per day to serve about 5,000-8,000 people depending on capacity: official • Vaccine is given only to those who have received invitation
More than 500 workers are deployed at the vaccination centre in Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) per day, where work continues at a good pace as part of the expansion of Qatar’s national programme for Covid-19 vaccination, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reports.
Work starts at 7am and continues until 10pm, seven days a week, to serve about 5,000-8,000 people, depending on the capacity of the centre, according to Dr Yasmin Ali Morad, director of the Office of Institutional Project Management at Primary Health Care Corporation and director of the national Covid-19 vaccine campaign project. Text messages are sent to the public to arrive ahead of the appointment.
The first phase of Covid-19 vaccination at the QNCC facility began last Thursday. It focuses on vaccinating teachers and school staff, in addition to other essential workers and community members who meet the eligibility criteria.
The QNCC vaccination centre comes under the supervision and management of PHCC, in co-operation with the Ministry of Public Health, Hamad Medical Corporation, volunteers from Qatar Red Crescent Society and the administration of Qatar National Convention Centre.
Dr Morad said the work strategy is based on vaccinating the most vulnerable populations such as the elderly, people with severe chronic conditions, health workers and other essential workers. She added that the QNCC facility will enable Qatar to increase its ability to vaccinate more essential workers and open more opportunities for the general public to receive the vaccine.
At present, all people at high risk or over the age of 60 years are urged to get the vaccine by fixing an appointment and calling the announced numbers or visiting their health centres.
Dr Morad said to ensure community safety and a smooth and effective vaccination process, invitations are being sent for appointments in a gradual and phased manner, and teachers and school staff will receive short text messages inviting them to come to the vaccination site during specific periods.
She explained that the vaccine will be given only to those who have received an invitation, provided it is shown when they attend the vaccination centre, with the need to bring a valid Qatari ID and health card. Others are required to wait until they receive an invitation via SMS, noting that the card renewal service has also been provided at the centre to reduce time and effort in this regard.
She indicated that the vaccination process will continue to proceed in the same way, that is, the vaccine will be given in two doses at the QNCC facility with the required interval between the first and second doses.
Visitors will be asked to carry the required cards when they come to the scheduled vaccination date and have to apply precautionary and preventive measures such as wearing a mask, ensuring hand hygiene and maintaining social distancing.
Attendance must be in accordance with the time and date specified in order to get vaccinated at the QNCC facility. This will be done while adhering to all other relevant measures to ensure that the work proceeds smoothly and quickly.
The time it takes to receive the vaccine is less than an hour, as the medical and training staff as well as the assisting administrative personnel have sufficient experience to facilitate the matter for the public, according to Dr Morad.
On the mechanism for renewing appointments, she explained that in the event of non-attendance or leaving the place for any reason without receiving the vaccine, the person concerned will be automatically contacted to obtain a new appointment in order to ensure that everyone gets these doses in an effort to secure and immunise society against this pandemic.