UAE authorities urge people to get booster shot

Emirati official Farida Al Hosani says boosters reactivate the body’s immunity

People wait to get vaccinated at Barsha Hall in Barsha, a suburb of Dubai.

Irum Fatima Tapal gets vaccinated against Covid-19 at Barsha Hall in Dubai

Lateef Painat receives the Pfizer BioNTech shot

It was a busy first week at Barsha Hall, where 4,000 people can be vaccinated in a day

Barsha Hall has 20 check-in counters, 50 vaccination booths and five observation rooms

About 80 healthcare staff work at the site

Lateef Painat, a Dubai resident, gets ready to be vaccinated at the newly opened Barsha Hall

UAE Covid-19 vaccine: how do I book a booster shot?

UAE health authorities urged people to get a booster shot after they have received two doses of a coronavirus vaccine.

Dr Farida Al Hosani, health spokeswoman for the federal government, said all eligible people should take the shot after consulting a doctor.

“Boosters are needed. It is given after the two main doses to activate the body’s immunity. They are very significant and we call on eligible groups to take it after consulting a doctor," she said at the weekly Covid-19 briefing.

"The vaccines are new and studies are being conducted to monitor their efficacy. The treatment is also changing regularly to cover the mutations and variants. We are following the best international practices," she said.

The UAE has administered more than 15 million vaccine doses since an inoculation campaign started in December 2020. It equates to 158.24 doses per 100 people.

Dr Al Hosani noted that the number of infections had dropped in the past few days.

She attributed this to a well-equipped health infrastructure in the country and the healthcare system’s rapid response in dealing with new cases.

"The Emirates follows a proactive approach. The readiness of the health sector, planning, pre-planning, contingency plans, training, and learning from international experiences have helped to curb the repercussions of this pandemic," she said.

"Each of the seven emirates is ready and prepared to handle cases.

"The EDE scanners have helped. It is a safe way to detect the virus without taking a sample. It helps in early detection and in controlling the virus in public places. The scanners measure electromagnetic waves, which are altered when the RNA particles of the Covid-19 virus are present.

“In a trial involving 20,000 people, the scanners showed a high degree of effectiveness, accurately detecting 93.5 per cent of infected people.”

Dr Al Hosani urged people to follow all precautionary measures and stay up to date with the rules if they are travelling to another country during the holidays.