Qatar COVID-19 vaccination story: what are the success drivers? ...

BackgroundThe availability of COVID-19 vaccines was associated with major concerns and challenges, including supply, access, delivery, and vaccine hesitancy.1-3 Qatar was among the first few countries that achieved >80% vaccination coverage very early during the pandemic. This study aims to identify the drivers of this success story.MethodsThis a qualitative descriptive study, where group discussions and key informant interviews were conducted with operational managers and decision-makers.ResultsIn the beginning, the elderly, people with chronic diseases, and healthcare workers were targeted. The service was then opened to all eligible population. Equal opportunity through different approaches was provided to all population groups including frontline workers, laborers, and people working in remote stations. During the early phase, vaccination was provided in health facilities. With the progression in vaccination, large centres for mass vaccination were opened to cope with the huge service demand with a ...