In Abu Dhabi, some fully vaccinated community members now have the choice to “take a different Covid-19 vaccine type” than previously received. This is the first time Abu Dhabi has allowed Covid-19 vaccines to be mixed. While Sinopdarm vaccine has been approved for general use since last year, Abu Dhabi confirmed Pfizer-BioNtech in April this year. Therefore, those who have received the two-dose Sinopharm vaccine can take the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine voluntarily at the Mubadala Health Vaccination Center.
According to the report in Reuters, UAE and Bahrain have made the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine available as a “booster shot” to those who initially received the Sinopharm. Reuters quoted a Mubadala Health spokesperson saying that the booster shot was available in Abu Dhabi three months after the second shot was administered.
However, the call center executive at the Mubatala Health Vaccination Center told Khaleej Times that the vaccine is administered only through prior appointments and on providing of signed consent form from a doctor. There are two consent forms available for free at the centres. One to be filled by the applicant and another by a doctor . Both the forms are titled: ‘Consent to take different Covid-19 vaccine type, than the previously received vaccine type’.
“If you have taken Sinopharm before and if you want to take Pfizer, you must book an appointment. You must fill a form. You must take the form to a general doctor, who needs to sign it. You must bring it during your appointment. This is how you could get the Pfizer vaccine if you took Sinopharm before. You can take the Pfizer vaccine three months after the second dose of Sinopharm,” the staff said.
According to the form ‘for the use of the physician’, a doctor needs to verify the dates of the earlier doses and then inform the applicant that there is no evidence based scientific studies regarding the safety and efficacy of the vaccine in case of combining different Covid-19 vaccines. A doctor must tell the applicant about the common side effects of taking the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. After assessing the medical fitness, the doctor can sign the form and give permission to get the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine
A fully immunized resident who went to the Capitol Health Screening Center, part of Mubatala Healthcare’s network at Al Jazira Sports Club, said the first appointment was only by the end of June. Then he said, “I am not taking the Pfizer vaccine now. I just wanted to verify if this was true as we haven’t heard anything officially yet from the health authorities on mixing of two vaccine types.”
The applicant is also giving consent to give a blood sample in future and contribute to clinical research. People can call 8004959 to book appointments or email to MCV@telemed.ae
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