2.1. Setting

With almost 100 nationalities, Qatar is one of the most culturally diverse, richest, and fastest developing countries in the Arabian Peninsula. Most of the 2.9 million population live in the capital, Doha. Although no exact official statistics are available, the majority of the population are young (median age of 30–34) migrant workers (estimated between 80–90%) with the largest subgroup being from the Indian subcontinent [26]. Qatar recorded its first case of COVID-19 in late February 2020 [27]. The following month the government introduced a strict lockdown, restricted entry to the country, and made the wearing of facemasks in public and the use of a smart phone contact-tracing app compulsory. These policies proved effective, the daily rate of infection peaked in late May and fell gradually throughout June and July. Between August 2020 and February 2021, the rate of infection has remained relatively low, with a marked spike in daily infection rates since the beginning of March 2021 potentially marking the “second wave” of the pandemic in this country. Lockdown measures were eased in mid-June 2020, but some have been reinstated at the end of March 2021; social distancing, wearing masks, and using the contact-tracing app remain standard practice. In addition, mandatory quarantine remains a requirement for many travelers entering the country.

Qatar operates a national health service. It has an established national program for childhood vaccinations and seasonal influenza vaccine is offered to high-risk groups. In December 2020, the government announced that it would provide free COVID-19 vaccination to the entire population and that vaccination would occur in stages, starting with the highest priority group. The first phase of vaccination started at the end of December 2020 and continued throughout January and it targeted those aged 70 years and above, people with multiple chronic conditions, and key healthcare staff working in close contact with COVID-19 patients. At the time of writing (April 2021), those being invited for vaccination include people aged 40 years and above, irrespective of their health conditions, people with moderate chronic medical conditions, and key workers in various ministries and industries. Both the Pfizer BioNTech, and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are approved in Qatar and vaccinations are provided through the country’s Primary Health Care Centers. In addition, two drive-through vaccination centers have been set-up in to administer second doses. In early April 2021, it was announced that Qatar had administered 1 million vaccine doses and that 77 percent of those aged over 60 years had received at least one vaccine dose [28].