Jun 20, 2021 - Sports

Qatar will require World Cup attendees to be vaccinated

Ivana Saric

2018 World Cup match France vs Croatia — Fans watch the FIFA World Cup match France versus Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia on July 15, 2018. Photo: Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Qatar will require fans attending the 2022 World Cup to be vaccinated against COVID-19, the Associated Press reported Sunday.

Why it matters: As the Tokyo Olympics has shown, even with the advent of coronavirus vaccines, the pandemic has the ability to wreck havoc on sporting tournaments.

The big picture: "Qatar will not allow fans to enter stadiums without receiving a full vaccination against the virus," Prime Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani told state media Sunday, per AP.

The country is trying to secure a million vaccine doses to immunize fans, he added.
Qatar has has 585 deaths from COVID-19 and 220,800 cases, per AP.

What they're saying: "Our primary goal in vaccinating the unvaccinated is to protect the public health of citizens and residents," Sheikh Khalid said, according to AP.

Go deeper: Boycott threats loom over Qatar World Cup and Beijing Olympics

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Qatar will require World Cup attendees to be vaccinated

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