Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has highlighted the importance of the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) vaccine, stressing its essential role in protecting students from serious infectious diseases.
As part of its ongoing public health awareness efforts, the Ministry emphasised the importance of vaccination, noting that the Tdap booster dose plays a vital role in safeguarding students’ health and preventing diseases that can lead to severe complications, disability, or even death. In addition, proof of vaccination against these diseases is often a requirement for admission to many local and international universities.
In awareness messages shared through its official social media platforms, the Ministry stated that the Tdap vaccine is part of Qatar’s national immunisation programme. The Tdap campaign provides a booster dose and is among the vaccination requirements for universities worldwide. Most people who receive the Tdap vaccine protect not only themselves but also their communities.
The Ministry also noted that these diseases pose significant health risks, particularly in school environments where infections can spread easily among students.
It emphasised that timely vaccination helps protect students’ health and supports a safer learning environment for future generations. Protecting students through vaccination, it added, is an essential preventive measure and a shared responsibility for community wellbeing.
Qatar continues to demonstrate strong performance in childhood immunisation, with coverage for the third dose of the Tdap vaccine among children remaining consistently high.
In many cases, coverage exceeds 90 percent, placing the country well above global benchmarks and reflecting the effectiveness of its national vaccination programmes.
The MoPH conducts an annual vaccination campaign targeting Year 10 students to protect them against tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough. This initiative is implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC).
The school-based vaccination campaign is a strategy recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) to protect individuals from these diseases.
The WHO recommends a booster dose every 10 years to maintain immunity.
