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Covid-19 vaccine in UAE: Top priest urges community to take the jab

Abu Dhabi - A number of religious leaders in the Capital have recently taken their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

by

Ashwani Kumar

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Published: Mon 21 Dec 2020, 2:19 PM

Last updated: Mon 29 Nov 2021, 3:57 PM

A religious leader is urging community members to take the Covid-19 vaccine and support the UAE Government’s fight against the pandemic.

Leading the way, Bishop Paul Hinder, Apostolic Vicar of the Vicariate of Southern Arabia (UAE, Oman, Yemen), and other priests from St Joseph’s Cathedral Abu Dhabi — including Parish Priest Father Johnson Kadukanmakal and Assistant Parish Priest Father Elie El Hashem — recently took their first dose of the vaccine at a hospital.


“I am very grateful that the country and the UAE Government have taken this initiative to make the vaccine available as soon as possible. I am happy I could take it now. I hope it will also work. I am confident it will. I came here without any fear. I think it’s the right thing to do,” Bishop Hinder told Khaleej Times after taking the jab.

Read: List of UAE centres where you can get the Covid-19 vaccine


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‘Hoping to travel again’

Since May this year, the bishop has also been appointed as the Apostolic Administrator of the Vicariate of Northern Arabia (Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia). With increased responsibilities, he is happy to have taken the jab and hopes to travel in the region.
“I am happy that I took this vaccination because everybody is waiting to get out of this ‘lockdown’ situation for almost nine months. For me, it is also important to be able to travel again, if it is possible here in the region, especially the Middle East. I should go to other countries to look after our people. If it is possible, I will be travelling after Christmas.”

'Let’s win this game'

Bishop Hinder urged people to take the vaccine and help beat the virus in the “game of life and death”.

“I will encourage all the people to take the vaccine. We cannot have an answer to all the questions but people who have done the whole research…have a sense of responsibility and I am confident. I never had these ideological reservations against vaccination. I shall definitely also encourage my people to accept this…We shouldn’t play with the virus. It’s a game of life and death. And we should do the game in favour of life and vaccination is part of that,” the bishop added.

ashwani@khaleejtimes.com


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