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QT-Online
Tribune News Network
Doha
Dr Abdullatif Al Khal, Chair of the National Health Strategy Group on COVID-19, has said that the booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine may provide protection against the Delta strain and other variants for many months, or even up to a year.
In an interview with Qatar TV on Sunday evening, Dr Al Khal said, “The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has decided to start giving the booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The duration of protection provided by the third dose against the Delta strain and other strains may extend to many months. We hope to reach up to a year.”
He said, “This approval is in line with the scientific evidence as well as the clinical evidence. Scientific evidence shows that the level of antibodies begins to decrease significantly eight months after taking the second dose. From the clinical point of view, it was found that those who took the two doses of the vaccine after 6-8 months begin to have an increase in the rates of COVID-19 infection.”
Dr Al Khal pointed out that for this reason, the MoPH decided to give the booster dose, and many countries have taken such a decision, and all countries are scheduled to follow the same approach.
He said the MoPH will start to give the booster dose from mid-September. “We will begin with the most vulnerable people first,” he added.
Dr Al Khal said, “This will be gradual. Over the next few months, the vaccine will be given to most people who took the two doses in January, February and March of this year.”
“It is expected that the booster dose will give a long-term protection that may extend to several months, and we hope that it will reach up to a year. It has been proven that those who take the third or booster dose have antibodies that are twice as much as the second dose,” Dr Al Khal pointed out.
He pointed out that the third dose gives a strong boost to immunity and protection from the virus, especially after the spread of the highly contagious Delta strain.
Scientific studies have proven that the immunity formed after the third dose is very effective against all strains, including the Delta variant, he added.
Dr Al Khal indicated that the vaccination programme in Qatar is very successful.
“We were able to cover the majority of the population for vaccination --  78% of the population so far two doses of the vaccine --  in a short period of time. Nine out of 10 people took at least one vaccine dose,” he said.
“This is very encouraging. The vaccination programme has led to a significant decrease in the number of infections and a decrease in cases hospitalized,” he added.
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12/09/2021
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