Getting the COVID-19 vaccine in Qatar

The story so far

The whole world is greatly affected by a pandemic unheard before in the history of humanity. The State of Qatar has been taking all necessary precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to ensure the safety of all its residents.

Despite all precautionary measures taken, the pandemic's tremor felt across Qatar's sectors, on the economy, health, employment, and all walks of life. The attention of the world centered around developing and giving the world an effective vaccine in record time.

Facts about COVID 19 vaccine

No disease has been investigated so intensely, by so much collective intellect, in so brief a time. Vaccination is a simple, secure, reliable, and effective means of shielding individuals before coming into contact with new illnesses. Vaccines facilitate antibodies' production in the immune system as they do when they expose to a disease. However, because these vaccines only contain deadly or infected Germ types such as bacterium and viruses, the illness is triggered, or the complications are at risk.

Many vaccinations are administered by injection, with some vaccines being administered orally (mouth) or with mouth sprays. Vaccinations are a healthy and reliable way to save lives and avoid illnesses; However, vaccines contain only killed or weakened forms of viruses or bacteria. They cannot cause any harm to the body or complications of the disease. Mostly, vaccines are given by injection or orally, or sometimes some are sprayed into the nose. Vaccination prevents and saves lives by helping the immune system fight the invading pathogen.

Who are all manufacturing the vaccine?

Vaccines are being developed at break-neck speed. Within five months of the pandemic, dozens of vaccines have been buzzing on research teams' pipelines in companies and universities worldwide. Safety trials have been conducted successfully on at least six vaccines, which takes years in standard times. These are Covishield developed By AstraZeneca and University of Oxford, the Serum Institute of India, Comirnaty(BNT162b2)By Pfizer and BioNTech, mRNA-1273, By Moderna, US biotech firm, Sputnik V by Gamaleya Research Institute, Russia, Covaxin b Bharat Biotech with Indian Council of Medical Research, India's National Institute of Virology, CoronaVac by Sinovac Biotech Ltd, China. In Qatar, the authorities granted emergency use authorization for the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioN Tech.

What is a Mutation? 

The one question that confronted scientists worldwide since the outbreak of SARS-COV-2 is about the virus's possible mutation. Mutations are normal and expected in such a situation, but the question that confused them is how deadly the mutated virus would be. Viruses are enigmatic entities. They are neither dead nor alive. They live like zombies until they find a host. But the moment they find one, they invade its cells. They take control of the cell's molecular machinery as the virus cannot reproduce and multiply with more replica of themselves.

What are the side effects of a COVID-19 vaccine?

Mild fever, headache, or muscle pain in some people or Swelling or redness on the spot may appear in others within the first two or three days of taking the vaccine. These symptoms may last only one or two days. Those who undergo vaccination are monitored for a few minutes to ascertain the complications, if any.

Vaccination, what is right and wrong

1.Do, we need to continue to wash our face and hands after taking the injection?

Ans: - Do not assume that immunity has been achieved once the drug has entered the body. Mistakes like changing the mask after taking the first dose and not keeping social distance can make you a COVID-19 patient.

2)There is no need to take the vaccination. Immunity comes after the disease - how real is this thought?

Ans: -A large section of the population has such a misconception. People get symptoms, but there is no risk of death after taking the vaccine. So injection is better than getting sick.

3)Once the vaccination is taken, will Covid never catch it again?

Ans:-Immunity of the vaccine in our body lasts up to a year. Therefore, it is safe to say that the disease does not recur during that period.

4)Once everyone is vaccinated, can we go back to the old ways of life?

Ans: A similar situation occurred in the past when the Spanish flu of 1918 came. It took four years for life to return to normal. But it cost the life of 50 million people. The goal is to get as many people as possible immunized through vaccination. But we will have to go on like this for another six or seven months. Everyone can expect life to be normal by the end of this year.

5)Is it okay to make close contact with others in society after the first injection

Ans:- It is a mistake to think that we will not get sick if we get the first shot of the vaccine. This is because the body develops immunity after the second dose. We can get the disease at any time within three weeks of receiving the first injection. We can still be carriers of the disease. Fully immunization is possible four weeks after the second dose of injection.

Conclusion

If 2020 opened with the virus's fear, 2021 is meant to start with the thrill of new vaccines to wipe it out.

Qatar's Ministry of Public Health announced that it is launching a new website registration process that will allow citizens and residents to register their desire to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The new on-line registration form will be available from Sunday, January 17, 2021. It will allow people who meet the requirements for priority groups to request an appointment to receive the vaccine. People who are not among the priority categories currently listed can also register their desire to receive the vaccine, and MOPH will save their details, and The ministry will send them a notification as soon as they become eligible for the vaccine in the future (Source: https://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/17/01/2021/Qatar-launches-online-registration-for-Covid-19-vaccination)