UAE health authorities: annual Covid-19 vaccines may be needed to fight newer variants

Vaccine manufacturers say lab tests show their shots work against the variants but efficacy is reduced

UAE residents of all ages are eligible for the Sinopharm shot, which is available across the seven emirates. All photos by Victor Besa / The National

People register for the vaccine at Seha's cruise ship terminal vaccine centre

Both the government and employers have urged the public to get vaccinated, as the country faces record daily numbers of new cases

An Abu Dhabi resident waits to receive her first shot at the Seha vaccination centre at Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal.

Sisters Aya and Jana register for the vaccine shot

Suzana and husband Novica Ristovic get vaccinated pictured with the advice brochures given to all volunteers

Shaikha Al Dheiri waits to be called in for the first of two shots that are necessary to provide protection against the virus

The Seha Vaccination Centre at Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal can serve up to 3,000 people per day. Victor Besa / The National 

The vaccination Centre at Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal

A medic holds up a package containing the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine

Emirati Abdulaziz Karmastaji gets a basic blood oxygen check before his vaccination

Two shots are required 21 days apart to ensure people have sufficient antibodies to protect them

A man is inoculated at Seha Vaccination Centre in the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal

Mohamed Hawas Al Sadid, chief executive of Abu Dhabi's public hospital operator Seha, oversees the vaccination drive

The Seha Vaccination Centre at Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal can serve up to 3,000 people per day

People will probably need a Covid-19 vaccine annually to protect themselves from the virus, health authorities in the UAE said.

Although the virus does not mutate as quickly as the common flu, the emergence of variants that can evade antibodies suggests repeated vaccination may be required to fight different strains, experts said.

"The more mutant the virus, the more is the possible need to vaccinate annually against it," said Dr Farida Al Hosani, spokeswoman for the UAE's government health authorities, during an online panel discussion on Tuesday.

The flu vaccine, which protects against up to four strains, is administered with the same frequency, she said.

Vaccine manufacturers said tests show their shots still work against the variants, but their efficacy is reduced.

On Tuesday, Moderna said its Covid-19 vaccine can protect against two of the major strains identified in the UK and South Africa.

But the blood from people vaccinated with the company’s shot generated a sixfold reduction in the level of antibodies against the variants, suggesting an earlier waning of immunity against the newer strains.

The company said it does, however, still offer protection. It is testing whether a booster shot can improve immune responses to the variants. It will first tackle the South African strain.

Initial tests suggested the Sinopharm vaccine, which is widely available in the UAE, can also neutralise the virus variants, but its efficacy is also impaired.

"Preliminary lab results show that antibodies produced by Chinese inactivated Covid-19 vaccines can neutralise existing variants found in the UK and South Africa, although the efficacy is slightly weakened," said Shao Yiming, a scientist with the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention agency, in an interview with Global Times.

Scientists are now assessing the need to redesign the various inactivated vaccines produced in China, he said.

This week, Dr Al Hosani said people immunised against Covid-19 can still contract and spread the virus, so they must remain cautious.

Vaccinated people should still be rigorous in their handwashing, wear face masks and maintain physical distancing to protect themselves and others.

"Although the risk is less, there is still a risk that we should not underestimate," she told The National.