DOHA: Chair of the National Strategic Group on COVID-19 and Head of the Infectious Diseases Division at Hamad Medical Corporation Dr. Abdullatif Al Khal has said that the Ministry of Public Health has decided to make COVID-19 vaccine available for all residents of State of Qatar free of cost.
“The Ministry will ensure to provide vaccine of enough quantity. It is not possible to provide for all in the beginning due to high demand from all over the world so the vaccine will be provided within weeks and months,” said Dr. Al Khal while speaking in a Qatar TV programme.
He said that the vaccine will be provided free of cost because it is important for health of an individual, community and public health.
“For example, according to a report on Pfizer Pharmaceutical company, by the end of 2020 the company will produce 100 million vaccine dozes, a large quantity of which will go to a number of countries including the US, European countries and others.”
He said that the company will produce another one billion dozes of vaccine in 2021 which will be distributed among other countries of the world.
“Qatar represented by the Ministry of Public Health will buy COVID-19 vaccines from more than one company to provide the vaccine faster and in largest possible quantity.”
He said that the Ministry of Public Health took the latest information published by the medial science magazine which enjoyed credibility. “A number of companies from across the world conducted experiments on COVID-19 vaccine in collaboration with universities and companies,” said Dr. Al Khal.
He said that the Ministry of Public Health communicated with all companies which conducted promising experiments of COVID-19 vaccines and expected to be effective.
“During the past three months, the Ministry communicated with a number of such companies notably those companies whose products, in initial experiments, proved effective and safe in first and second phase of trials."
He said that the Ministry is still in touch with a number of such companies. “An agreement was signed with one of these companies which was announced and other agreements will be signed soon with other companies,” he added.
