Volunteering for Qatar’s immunization campaign
Pre-medical student Salman Al Jerdi (Class of 2012, left) was among those students distributing leaflets about immunization at Landmark shopping mall in November.
Pre-medical student Salman Al Jerdi (Class of 2012, left) was
among those students distributing leaflets about immunization
at Landmark shopping mall in November.

Vaccination is one of the most successful and cost-effective public health interventions. With well over two million deaths worldwide currently averted through immunization each year*, WCMC-Q students are keen to join in efforts to protect the community in Qatar. And the National Health Authority’s (NHA) latest Multi-Antigen Mass Immunization Campaign is a chance for them to do just that.

In January 2007, students from the Medical College will join teams of doctors and nurses from the NHA’s Communicable Disease Control & Prevention section, in the second round of the Campaign.

The aim is to ensure immunity against the wild polio virus in children aged two months to five years, and the total elimination of measles, rubella and pneumococcal diseases from Qatar.

Students will actively participate in the administration of oral polio vaccine (OPV) drops to children at schools and kindergartens in Doha, and assist health care professionals in administering the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) and the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR).

Youssef Francis (Class of 2012) gets behind the National Health Authority’s Multi-Antigen Mass Immunization Campaign, as he takes a question from an interested community member.
Youssef Francis (Class of 2012) gets behind the
National Health Authority’s Multi-Antigen Mass
Immunization Campaign, as he takes a question
from an interested community member.

The January round follows WCMC-Q student participation in health awareness sessions at Doha’s Landmark shopping mall in November. Students helped educate the local community on the importance of immunization, by handing out leaflets.

With previous experience of the NHA’s 2005 immunization campaign, and knowledge of the relevant diseases, vaccine storage procedures and administration of the vaccines, gained during workshops at Hamad Medical Corporation, students are well prepared for the coming round.

* World Health Organization website, ‘Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals’ (www.who.int/immunization/en/)




Report by Krista Dobinson, Assistant Editor/Writer