File Photo: Reuters
Edit: Story updated with more details
Doha: The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) has issued an emergency use authorization of Modernas COVID-19 vaccine, the second COVID-19 vaccine to be approved for use in the State of Qatar by the MOPH.
Modernas COVID-19 vaccine was approved after the MOPHs Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Control carried out an extensive review of the vaccine and assessed the results of clinical studies conducted on tens of thousands of volunteers.
The approval by MOPH follows similar authorization of Modernas vaccine by health agencies in the United States, Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Switzerland.
Dr. Abdullatif Al Khal, Chair of the National Health Strategic Group on COVID-19 and Head of Infectious Diseases at Hamad Medical Corporation, said: "The comprehensive clinical trial process on Modernas COVID-19 vaccine has showed it is safe and highly effective. The authorization from MOPH means we can soon begin administering the Moderna vaccine along with the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine as we expand our national vaccination program in Qatar."
Dr. Al Khal said that with high demand for COVID-19 vaccines around the world, Qatar will now benefit from the availability of two vaccines. He said both vaccines have shown similarly high levels of safety and efficacy in trials and that people should not be concerned about which vaccine they are offered.
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Meanwhile, Dr. Aisha Ibrahim Al Ansari, Director of Pharmacy and Drug Control, the Chair of the Vaccine Procurement Taskforce, Qatar said: "Qatars proactive approach to securing vaccine agreements has proved highly effective."
"We were clear from the outset that we only wanted to administer an internationally approved, safe and effective vaccines for the people of Qatar. We will soon receive the first delivery of Moderna vaccines and while this will be a limited quantity initially, this is an encouraging development and we can expect regular, larger deliveries of both Moderna and Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines to arrive in Qatar in the next days and weeks," she added.
Currently Qatar administers the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine free to all residents and citizens at the health centres and today revised the age limit of people who can receive the vaccine.
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