HE Minister of Public Health Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari stressed Monday that the State of Qatar continues the implementation of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination program as planned.

Her Excellency said, in remarks made during the inauguration of a new COVID-19 Drive-Through Vaccination Center today in Lusail, will provide another option for the population to get their vaccines in the car. She noted that the drive-through PCR testing centers were very popular.

The Center is part of Qatars strategy to upscale its National COVID-19 Vaccination Program. Operated by Hamad Medical Corporation, in collaboration with Primary Health Care Corporation, the Center will provide a significant boost to the vaccination program and administer second doses to eligible people.

For his part, Dr. Abdullatif Al-Khal, who is the Chair of the National Health Strategic Group on COVID-19 and Head of Infectious Diseases at Hamad Medical Corporation, said that the new COVID-19 Drive-Through Vaccination Center has been designed to provide a convenient way for people to receive their vaccinations. He added that the vaccines are administered in a discreet manner within a dedicated vaccination lane which cars can drive through, while the vaccine recipient remains in the comfort of their own vehicle. He noted that the Center will boost the vaccination program and enable the vaccination of a greater number of people.

Visitors to the Center will undergo a pre-vaccination assessment and be asked to wait in their vehicle in a designated observation area after receiving the vaccine to ensure they do not have a reaction to the vaccine. Paramedic teams will be on site in the unlikely event that anyone has a reaction requiring emergency medical support.

Meanwhile, Managing Director of PHCC Dr. Mariam Abdulmalik said that the Center does not operate with an appointment system, but eligible people are required to attend on the set date of their second dose.

"People do not need an appointment to attend the drive-through center, they can simply visit on the day of their scheduled second dose, 21 days after their first dose, and they will be seen on a first-come-first-seen basis. Our PHCC teams will schedule eligible people in for their second dose at the COVID-19 Drive-Through Vaccination Center at the time of their first dose appointment at one of our primary health centers," she said. (QNA)