The campaign aims to protect Qatari citizens and residents as the flu season begins

Residents and citizens can access free flu shots at Primary Health Care Centres and up to 40 semi-government and private medical centres starting tomorrow, Oct 20, 2020. The vaccine is considered safe for everyone above six months of age. 

The national influenza vaccination campaign was launched at the Hamad bin Khalifa Medical City as the flu season starts. According to estimates, over 500,000 will be vaccinated until the end of the flu season in March 2021.

“Taking the flu vaccine is more important this year than amid the Coronavirus Pandemic. Both the Covid-19 and flu have the same symptoms and getting co-infected with flu and coronavirus can lead to severe complications,” said Dr. Abdullatif Al Khal, Chair of the National Health Strategic Group on Covid-19 and Head of Infectious Diseases at Hamad Medical Corporation. 

Authorities are reminding everyone that if they have flu-like symptoms but are not sure whether it is flu or COVID-19, to call 16000.