Pfizer for UAE kids: Some parents 'can't wait' to get kids vaccinated

For some UAE parents who have been limiting their kids’ outdoor activities amid the pandemic, the approval of the Pfizer jab for youngsters comes as a relief.

Dubai resident Yumna Samad, a mother of two kids aged 7 and 9, said she had been anxiously waiting for the vaccine for her children.

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“I had been hesitant to take them outdoors as they are not yet vaccinated. And since we recently moved from Pakistan, they are continuing their online education from their schools back home. I wanted them to get the jab first before I register them in Dubai schools, so I am glad this announcement has come,” said Samad.

While Samad and her husband are already vaccinated, they are still avoiding gatherings as much as possible to ensure their kids’ safety.

“I can’t wait to get my kids vaccinated soon and that too with Pfizer, which is supposed to offer over 90 per cent protection against the virus. This will take a great deal of stress away from me as my children will get this additional layer of protection with the vaccine,” she said.

Nausheen Waheed, a mother of a 10-year-old, was also glad that the age bracket for the Pfizer jab was lowered.

“All of us in the family, including my other teenage kids, took the Pfizer shot. My 10-year-old daughter Rumaisa was too young for it so we got her vaccinated with Sinopharm as that was the only one available for her age group. With this new decision, we are hoping she could be allowed to take the Pfizer jab once she completes six months of taking Sinopharm,” Waheed said.

Parents called the latest Pfizer authorisation in the UAE a ‘key step’ in beating Covid-19.

“It is such a blessing to be living here in the UAE as in our country, Pakistan, kids are not yet allowed to get a Covid vaccine. The UAE is one of the few countries that have taken this bold move,” Samad said.

Waheed added: “We trust that the government of the UAE has done the necessary tests and come up with the best for the population. It is very important that children are vaccinated as they could carry infections home, from schools to their grandparents and parents. Unless everyone in the community is vaccinated, the environment will not be completely safe for all.”

saman@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE