MoPH Launches Vaccination Campaign for 10th, 11th Graders Against Tetanus, Diperthia, Whooping Cough (Tdap)

Doha, March 03 (QNA) - The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) announced the launch of the annual vaccination campaign against tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough (Tdap), starting from mid-March, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the Primary Health Care Corporation. This year, the campaign aims to vaccinate grade 10 and 11 students in private and public schools in the State of Qatar. Director of Health Protection and Communicable Diseases Control Department at MoPH Dr. Hamad Eid Al Rumaihi said: The implementation of the annual vaccination campaign against tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough (Tdap) aims to enhance the immunity of male and female students, and the World Health Organization recommends that the vaccination against the three diseases should be taken every 10 years as a booster dose. He clarified that this does comes within the framework of the periodic vaccination for adolescents and within the National immunization schedule in the State of Qatar. Dr. Hamad Al Rumaihi added that the State of Qatar does not suffer from the spread of tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough, which is attributed to the high vaccination coverage. However, he emphasized that attention should be paid to the seriousness of the three diseases targeted by the vaccine, which may cause severe complications including death or total disability to the person infected with any of them. The campaign is implemented annually and targets grade 10 students but was postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country and the whole world, so it was decided that the target group this year would include grade 10 and 11 students. MoPH called on guardians and parents of students to urge their children to receive Tdap vaccination, as it has a profound impact on promoting their health and preventing diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough, as it is part of the periodic vaccinations for adolescents and within the series of basic vaccines found in the immunization schedule in Qatar. (QNA)