Dubai receives new shipment of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine

Dubai: Dubai Health Authority has received a new shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, the Emirates News Agency reported on Tuesday.

The newly arrived vaccines have been distributed to DHA’s health centres designated for the vaccination across the emirate.

The authority had started the vaccination campaign with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on December 23, 2020, later expanded its scope, using the Sinopharm and AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines to offer people multiple options.

Dr. Farida Al Khaja, Executive Director of the Supportive Medical Services and Nursing and Head of the Steering Committee for the Vaccination of COVID-19 at DHA, said that the ongoing vaccination plan targets elderly citizens and residents, people with chronic diseases and people of determination as well as front-liners.

She emphasised that a prior appointment for vaccination is needed and that can be done by calling the toll-free number 800342 to choose the type of the vaccine and the date of vaccination, adding that the vaccination of frontliners and those working in vital professions is being carried out in coordination between the Dubai Health Authority and the authorities, departments and institutions in which they work. “The priority is now given to those who are 60 year old and over,” Al Khaja said.

Doses given

In its endeavor to safeguard its citizens and residents, the UAE stepped up its drive to administer vaccines; as of Tuesday, a total of 5,198,725 doses had been given out.  (In the past 24 hours, 111,890 doses were administered.)

What’s in the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine?

The active ingredient is messenger Ribonucleic Acid (mRNA) which triggers the production of the protein found on the spikes of the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)

How does the vaccine work?

Not everyone's involved

It is important to remember however that not everyone is eligible for the vaccine. When inoculations were initially announced, Dubai Health Authority provided a list of groups of people that were excluded from getting the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

For more information on who can get a jab and who cannot, and why, click here.

Is the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine the only one available?

No, the Dubai Health Authority is offering three vaccines at present. These are

Ready for your jab but don't know how to go about it? Click here for details.

With all the info available, if you are wondering which jab offers most protection and why - you are not alone. For a comparison of the options on hand, check out our special report.