Covid vaccine in UAE: Do infected residents need to take jab?

Individuals who had suffered moderate to severe Covid-19 infection may have developed adequate immunity against the virus, studies have revealed. Further tests would determine if they still need the vaccine, a top government official said on Tuesday.

Patients whose Covid infection had been minor or were asymptomatic may not have the necessary immunity. The decision to vaccinate Covid-recovered residents will largely depend on the recommendations and evaluations by medical specialists, said Dr Omar Abdulrahman Al Hammadi, the official spokesperson of the UAE Government.

“According to studies, those who had minor infections or did not show symptoms during their infection with the virus don’t necessarily have immunity against it,” he said.

Immunity tests will have to conducted, he said, to determine whether an individual still requires vaccination. “If antibodies are not formed, they would be given the vaccine,” Dr Al Hammadi said.

The UAE officially registered Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine recently and centres across the country have been administering the jab to residents.

Celebrate festive season responsibly

During the briefing, the official also advised residents to exercise caution during the festive season.

“Currently, there is a winter vacation period that coincides with school holidays, which will increase social and tourism activities.”

Although students need to be active, and enjoy quality time with family and friends, “we call on everyone to adhere and to follow all of the preventive measures”.

Physical distancing will have to be observed and handwashing should still be practised. Masks should be worn at all times and everyone must be careful in interacting with the elderly,

dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai
• Abu Dhabi