BOOSTER SHOTS

The move comes as part of the national vaccination campaign efforts

The Ministry of Health and Prevention has approved the emergency use of Pfizer and Sputnik booster shots for residents aged above 60, people with chronic diseases, 50-59 age group at risk of complications and those above 18 years, who are receiving long-term care.

The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has approved the emergency use of the booster shots of Pfizer-BioNTech and Sputnik vaccines. The move comes as part of the national vaccination campaign efforts aimed at addressing Covid-19 pandemic.

The new protocol was announced during the UAE Government media briefing on the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking during the briefing, Dr Noura Al Ghaithi, Acting Executive Director of External Therapeutic Services, emphasised that the booster is given as an additional dose that’s given after receiving the first two vaccine doses. This booster should help improve immunity after vaccine effectiveness against Covid-19 infections decreases over time.

Leading position

“We recommend individuals who are eligible for the booster shot be sure to take this dose on time, to protect their health and ensure safety from Covid-19 by boosting their immunity,” Al Ghaithi said.

“The UAE has reinforced its leading position — both regionally and globally — since the outbreak of the virus. The UAE now ranks among the first countries globally in addressing the pandemic, thanks to the concerted efforts made by all sectors to ensure sustainable recovery,” Al Ghaithi stated.

“These impressive successes have been achieved thanks to the visionary vision of our wise leadership and the commitment and awareness of our society, thanks to which we have survived the challenges and will restore normality soon,” she further said.

“We underline the need for social cohesion at this stage to maintain all the gains achieved. The phased removal of restrictions we’re witnessing requires us to share social responsibility to ensure public safety, contain the pandemic and move towards a brighter future,” she said.

She stressed that the UAE health sector plays a vital role in strengthening the national response to Covid-19 and stemming its consequences.

“We are proud of this proactive approach and of being one of the first countries to turn the challenges of the Covid-19 into opportunities and benefit from all the experiences we have gone through to become a global model,” Al Ghaithi said.