The annual seasonal influenza vaccine programme has begun, according to the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), and Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC). Starting on September 18, 2023, 90 healthcare institutions, including 31 PHCC Health Centres, as well as outpatient clinics run by Hamad Medical Corporation and a number of semi-government and private hospitals and clinics around Qatar, will provide free flu vaccinations.
Dr. Abdullatif Al Khal, head of the HMC Infectious Diseases Division, emphasised the need of individuals taking preventative measures to guard themselves against the flu as soon as feasible. While the flu is a dangerous sickness and everyone six months of age and older should get the vaccination to protect themselves, some groups are more vulnerable than others, according to Dr. Hamad Al Romaihi, director of health protection and communicable disease control.
Dr. Khalid Hamid Elawad, director of health protection and preventive health at PHCC, urged the population to get the flu shot as soon as possible to develop immunity before the next winter season. He informed the neighbourhood that they cannot contract the flu by receiving a flu shot and that it is one of the most well-established and safe vaccinations, citing the fact that hundreds of millions of people worldwide have had flu shots without incident over the previous 50 years. The safety of flu vaccinations has been supported by a large body of research.
