An increased quantity of Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines in Qatar helps speed up the national inoculation drive.

More than half a million doses of the Covid-19 shots have been administered since the start of the National Vaccination Programme, authorities said, as the number of daily doses accelerates.

A total of 510,000 vaccines have now been given since December, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) announced on Tuesday, pointing to a greater quantity of Moderna and Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines now available in Qatar.

“Over 100,000 doses are being administered each week, meaning that every day, around 14,000 of our most vulnerable members of society and essential workers are getting vaccinated and becoming protected against Covid-19,” the ministry said. 

“Since the beginning of February, the number of doses administered each week has increased by 270% and more than one in seven adults, 15 percent of Qatar’s adult population, have now received at least one vaccine dose,” MoPH confirmed. 

The remarks come just days after the Acting Deputy Chief Nursing Officer at HMC Maryam Al-Mutawa revealed a total of 3,888 positive cases have been recorded among doctors and nurses.

Despite nurses dealing with mutated strains of the novel coronavirus, no deaths have been reported among medics.

Read also: Vaccines provide 95% protection against new variant strains: health official

Earlier this week, a health official said both vaccines available as part of Qatar’s inoculation drive – Pfizer-Biontech and Moderna vaccines – provide 95% protection against the new mutated strains of the virus.

The available vaccines have a high-efficiency rate in preventing infection, Dr. Nasser Ali Al-Ansari, microbial and infection control consultant and a member of the Crisis Committee at Hamad Medical Corporation, said.

The health official also said those who have received both doses of the vaccine are more likely to be guarded from severe symptoms that may otherwise be fatal or require intensive care.

Major concerns have been raised over the last few weeks after authorities confirmed a 110% increase in the number of patients requiring hospitalisation since the start of February.

The number of daily hospital admissions has inclined from around 40 a few months ago to over 100 at present, Dr. Ahmed Al-Mohamed, acting chairman of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC)’s Intensive Care Units said in a press conference last week.

Some 149 acute cases were admitted to hospital on Tuesday, when authorities recorded 479 new positive infections. This bumped the number of current active cases to 12,091.

Since January, infections have increased fourfold and the total number of people currently under acute hospital care is 989.

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