Abu Dhabi, the oil-rich capital of the United Arab Emirates, has made booster doses mandatory for people who were inoculated with the Sinopharm vaccine.
“Vaccinated individuals who received their second dose of Sinopharm vaccine more than six months ago must receive a booster dose to enhance their immunity,” Abu Dhabi’s media office said in a tweet. Other vaccines don’t currently require booster doses.
Vaccinated individuals who received their second dose of Sinopharm vaccine more than six months ago must receive a booster dose to enhance their immunity and comply with approved health protocol for each vaccine. pic.twitter.com/3jobXGx6Wx
— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@admediaoffice) August 29, 2021
Abu Dhabi’s media office didn’t say if the requirements would apply to the six other emirates, including Dubai, that make up the UAE.
The UAE has approved vaccines from Moderna Inc., Pfizer Inc. and AstraZeneca Plc., but the country’s inoculation program – one of the fastest globally – has hinged on Sinopharm, which is also being produced locally.
Abu Dhabi currently restricts access to some public spaces to people who have been fully vaccinated, and those who fail to get booster shots by Sept. 20 will no longer be able to enter these places.
The issue of booster shots has become more pressing, amid questions about “breakthrough” infections among the fully vaccinated, particularly with the fast-spreading delta variant. U.S. President Joe Biden said last Friday his administration is considering whether to start booster shots as soon as five months after people receive a second dose.
Israel began to inoculate its population with third doses at the beginning of the month, starting with people over the age of 60 and gradually lowering that to 30. Initial results of a study there showed a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, given to Israelis over 60, has been 86 percent effective.
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