Vaccine
A woman holds a small bottle labeled with a "Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccine" sticker and a medical syringe in this illustration taken October 30, 2020. Image Credit: Reuters

Abu Dhabi: The UAE Fatwa Council has legalised the use of COVID-19 vaccines in accordance with the objectives of the Islamic Sharia to protect the human soul, it was announced Tuesday.

The council urged communities worldwide to cooperate with their governments to ensure the success of vaccination drives and respect preventive and precautionary measures in place to stem the spread of the pandemic.

The fatwa was issued by the council chaired by Sheikh Abdullah Bin Bayyah in reply to a question by Malaysia’s Minister of Islamic Affairs who asked for a fatwa, a legal opinion on a point of Islamic law about the use of COVID-19 vaccines.

The council said the vaccine was part of treatment prescribed by Islamic law as it falls under preventive medicine, particularly in epidemic diseases when all community members are at a high risk of infection.

The council’s decision is based on the rule that says the public necessity is dealt with as a private necessity.