UAE Covid vaccine: Residents receive second dose as scheduled

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KT Photo: Ryan Lim
KT Photo: Ryan Lim

Dubai - Studies are ongoing about how much a delay in receiving booster doses would affect vaccine efficacy.

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Dhanusha Gokulan

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Published: Mon 8 Feb 2021, 6:48 PM

Last updated: Mon 8 Feb 2021, 8:06 PM

A day after the UAE announced that it would temporarily provide the Covid-19 vaccine only to senior citizens, people with chronic diseases and determination, a majority of the beneficiaries scheduled to take the booster dose of the jab received them without a hitch on Monday.

Some UAE residents have received text message notifications on their mobile phones from the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP), which informed them that their scheduled vaccination appointments for the first dose have been rescheduled.


Ajith (name withheld at request), an Indian expatriate, told Khaleej Times, “I was due to take the vaccine from the Al Ittihad Health Centre for Families on Monday. However, I got a text message, which stated that my appointment has been postponed and would be rescheduled. I’m awaiting the next time slot.”

He added, “I have read media reports which state that Dubai plans to inoculate the entire population by the end of this year. I’m confident that the UAE will succeed in this mission.”


However, residents who were given appointments for the booster dose received them as scheduled too.

Several residents were concerned following the announcement to restrict the vaccine campaign to vulnerable categories of the country’s population.

Khaleej Times’s spot visits to the Riqqa Health Centre and the Expo Centre in Sharjah have revealed that all citizens and expats due to take the booster dose were receiving them without any hitch.

Kamal Raj, a Nepalese national, who received the booster dose at the Al Riqqa Health Centre said, “I took the first dose of the vaccine on January 18 and received the second dose on Monday. It was a smooth procedure. I had to wait for only 20 minutes before the jab was administered.”

Second dose must be taken on time: Doctors

The United States’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said there ought to be an interval of 21 days between both doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.

The UAE government has recommended that the second dose for China’s Sinopharm vaccine be taken between 21 and 28 days.

Dr Jyothish George, the director of Prime Home Care Services and chairman of the group’s Cold Chain Management Committee and Ethics Committee, said the appropriate gap between doses for the Pfizer vaccine is 21 days, Sinopharm (21-28 days) and Oxford-AstraZeneca (28-42 days).

Dr George said: “In case of a delay, the efficacy may reduce a bit for some vaccines but may not be significant while for some vaccines, a slight delay may even be beneficial. Studies are currently ongoing.”

Similarly, Dr Rajesh Kumar Gupta, a specialist of Internal Medicine at Burjeel Specialty Hospital in Sharjah, said, “In the case of Sinopharm, the ideal time between the first and the second dose is 21 days. It is better that everybody tries to get the second jab within the stipulated time. It is ideal that people receive the jab on the same day.”

He said: “A week late or so wouldn’t be an issue. But it’s recommended that all get the jab by the stipulated time. It is mandatory that a person should get two doses of the Sinopharm vaccine to develop an effective immunity against Covid-19.”

Dr Gupta said though studies show that the Sinopharm vaccine is highly effective against Covid-19, a delay in getting the second dose might affect the development of immunity in the body. “There is no information on how long one can delay the second dose. A few days to a week should be fine,” he added.

‘Don’t crowd outside vaccine centres'

Doctors have also strictly advised residents to completely avoid crowding at medical centres before receiving an appointment slot, as it increases the risk of contracting Covid-19.

It has also been recommended that residents call the health facility or arrive at the clinic only after their appointment to take the jab has been confirmed.

Dr Dirar Abdallah, a consultant of internal medicine at Prime Hospital, Dubai, said, “We’ve been hearing from our patients that they’re having to wait for one to two hours, and at times even more, to get the vaccine. They are crowding outside these centres.”

He urged people to avoid crowding outside medical centres, where the vaccination drive is in progress.

“Be on time for your appointments. Residents need to call and check with medical centres behind heading to these facilities. Don’t stand in a queue for hours,” said Dr Abdallah.

Dr Gupta said taking the jab is only a shield against Covid-19 but doesn’t mean a 100 per cent guarantee against the viral disease.

“Being vaccinated doesn’t mean that you’re completely protected from the virus. It’s crucial that you follow the safety precautions strictly,” he said, adding, “Proper hygiene, sanitisation of hands, social distancing and wearing face masks would protect you from getting infected. It’s also advised for high-risk people not to venture out into public places.”

Government authorities are recommending UAE citizens and residents to register for their jabs at the following link: https://smartforms.moh.gov.ae/VaccinationBooking/AppPages/CovidVaccinationBooking.


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