Coronavirus: UAE Fatwa Council allows vaccines to be used in compliance with Islamic law

The religious authority cited the contagious nature of the disease to justify inoculation

Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee and Dr Walid Zaher, vaccine project leader at G42 Healthcare, pictured in Abu Dhabi. Their teams will lead a plan to produce the Sinopharm vaccine in the UAE this year. Victor Besa / The National

Dr Al Kaabi, pictured with Ashish Koshy, chief executive of Sinopharm vaccine trial partner G42 Healthcare, said the country aims to inoculate 70 per cent of the population to achieve herd immunity. Victor Besa / The National

Al Ain resident Aysha Mohammed Ahmad Ali holds a thumbs up after receiving her first shot of the Sinopharm vaccine at Burjeel hospital in Abu Dhabi in December. Victor Besa / The National

A medic at Burjeel Hospital in downtown Abu Dhabi holds a dose of the vaccine developed by Chinese drug maker Sinopharm. Victor Besa / The National

A nurse carries out a consultation with Abu Dhabi resident Saqib Ali before he receives the free shot. Victor Besa / The National

Al Ain resident Aysha Mohammed Ahmad Ali travelled to Abu Dhabi City from Al Ain to get vaccinated. Victor Besa / The National

A medic at Burjeel Hospital in downtown Abu Dhabi holds a dose of the vaccine developed by Chinese drug maker Sinopharm. Victor Besa / The National

Medical staff at Burjeel Hospital pictured on the first day of vaccine shots. Victor Besa / The National

Dr Haifaa Fadl Nourin is pictured at the hospital's Covid-19 vaccination clinic, which was set up in Burjeel's cancer wing. Victor Besa / The National

Bunyanuch Janta, from Thailand, waits for her turn to get vaccinated on Sunday. Victor Besa / The National

Emiratis Jaber Humaid, left and Omran Al Khoori pictured after receiving the first of two shots. Victor Besa / The National

Dr Ayman Mohamed Abdelhady gets vaccinated at Burjeel Hospital on Sunday. Victor Besa / The National

The UAE Fatwa Council has allowed the use of Covid-19 vaccine in compliance with Islamic rules.

The announcement was made after Muslims were concerned over the halal status of the vaccines.

"Coronavirus vaccination is classified under preventive medicines for individuals, as recommended by the Islamic faith, particularly in times of pandemic diseases when the healthy happen to be prone to infections due to the high risk of contracting the disease, therefore posing risk to the entire society," the council said.

Even if the vaccine contains non-halal ingredients banned by Islam, the council said, it was permissible to use it in implementation of the Islamic rule that permitted the use of such products in case there were no alternatives.

The council cited the highly contagious nature of the disease as a justification to use vaccines.

"Right now, the vaccine is optional. We encourage anyone who wants to get this vaccine to get the advice of his doctor before taking it if you are allergic or if you have a health problem," the UAE Fatwa call centre told The National.

“It is important to be vaccinated if you are a frontline worker or above 65 years but it is different if you are a healthy person just at home.”

Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccines must be kept at temperatures of -70 °C. Here, they are being transported in a special trailer from the plane to Emirates Sky Pharma for storage. Courtesy: Dubai Media Office

The ultra-cold storage is necessary to prevent the mRNA in them – the technology used to deliver the vaccines – from breaking down.

The vaccine will be given free of cost in Dubai.

Keeping the vaccines at -70 °C maintains the structure of the mRNA for up to six months.

There has never been a vaccine or drug that has required such cold storage before, which meant Pfizer had to develop a special method to transport the doses.

Pfizer's reusable boxes, which can store up to 5,000 doses, are packed with dry ice and installed with trackers to monitor the location and temperature of the frozen vials.

They can be opened twice a day for less than three minutes at a time while maintaining the temperature. Once opened for longer, the vials can be kept at 2-7°C for five days.

Dubai has authorised the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, with the government set to begin an "extensive" inoculation campaign from Wednesday.

It is the second vaccine made available in the UAE after the Sinopharm shot was approved for nationwide use last month.

Dubai's Supreme Committee for Crisis and Disaster Management said a "wide and free vaccination campaign against Covid-19 with the Pfizer vaccine" would start immediately.

The Ministry of Health announced the emergency registration of the vaccine in the country late on Tuesday.