Vaccinations are the best way to defeat this pandemic, and the higher the level of vaccination in the community, the higher the percentage of immunity in this community. "Therefore, we were closer to reaching recovery, as acquiring herd immunity through the vaccine is the most successful way to eliminate the virus.

• What is COVID-19 of Coronavirus?

  COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a new coronavirus, known as SARS-CoV-2. It is very contagious and the effect of the infection can vary from mild to severe symptoms.

  Older adults, and people with underlying medical problems like heart diseases, diabetes, chronic lung diseases, kidney diseases, liver diseases and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.

• How does COVID-19 virus spread?

  COVID-19 spread when a person inhales droplet from an infected person when coughing, sneezing, or talking. COVID-19 virus can also be caught from touching a surface or an object contaminated with the virus, and then touching mouth, nose or eyes.

• Importance of vaccination in general?
  1. Vaccines protect children and adults from some infectious diseases and their serious complications, and thus lead to a healthy society free from these infectious diseases and epidemics.
  2. Vaccines achieve their purpose by protecting individuals and communities.
  3. Vaccines are the best and most successful medical interventions.
  4. Achieving the indicators of the national preventive programs for disease eradication and elimination, as it can be prevented with vaccines, based on global strategies and best practices.
  5. Health system development and the quality of community life.
• What is the available vaccine type?

  The current approved COVID-19 vaccines in the country are SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Inactivated Vaccine (Sinopharm), mRNA (Pfizer/BioNTech) and the Sputnik V.

• What is this vaccine?

  The SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero Cell) is an inactivated biotechnology product intended to provide protection against COVID-19.

• Who should take the vaccine?

  The vaccine can be given to everyone starting from the age of 16 years. However, it is recommended to give the priority for vaccination to those at highest risk of contracting the infection and those who are at risk of serious complications of infection, when being infected including the following priorities:

  • People aged 50 years and above
  • People with chronic condition/s such as:
    1. Heart diseases
    2. Diabetes
    3. Chronic lung diseases
    4. Kidney diseases
    5. Liver diseases
    6. Cancer
• How many doses to be given?

  Two doses (3 – 4 weeks interval).

• Is the vaccination mandatory?

  Vaccination is optional.

• I may not be available to take the second dose, can the appointment be changed to another day?

  It is important to keep record of the second dose appointment and adhere to attend, to ensure the required level of immunity and the maximum benefit from the vaccine. It is recommended to take the second dose in the same vaccination site where the first dose was taken.

• Is it possible to take another dose of the vaccine from another manufacturer?

  Two doses of the vaccine should be taken from the same manufacturer to ensure vaccine safety and effectiveness.

• Is it safe to take more than one type of COVID-19 vaccine?

  No, it is not safe to take different types of COVID-19 vaccine.

• Is vaccination safe for older adults and people with chronic conditions?

  Yes, vaccination is safe for older adults and people with chronic conditions. It is recommended to provide the vaccine to these groups as they are at risk of developing complication when infected with COVID-19. The medical team will evaluate in case there is a reason to prevent getting vaccinated.

  The Ministry of Health and Prevention continues to provide COVID-19 vaccines across most of its medical facilities while prioritising the elderly and people with chronic diseases and People of Determination, in addition to those who had already taken the first dose of the vaccine.

• Is vaccination safe for people taking medications?

  This will be evaluated by the medical team. You need to inform the team of all medications you are taking and if you have allergies of any kind.

• Who should not take the vaccine?
  1. Participants of Phase III of the clinical trial.
  2. Pregnant and lactating women and women planning to get pregnant.
  3. People with certain conditions (based on evaluation of the medical team).
  4. People with severe allergic reaction to any component in the vaccine.
• Will the vaccine give protection from COVID-19 Virus?

  The COVID-19 vaccine will reduce the chance of COVID-19 virus and spread infection to others. When many people are vaccinated, COVID-19 virus is less likely to spread in the community.

  Immunity against COVID-19 virus does not develop until few weeks after receiving the second dose.

  Some people may be exposed to COVID-19 virus before getting the benefit from the vaccine.

• What are the side effects of the vaccine?

  The vaccine is like any other medicine and could cause some side-effects. The risk of severe reaction is rare. Some minor side effects may occur following a vaccination, including:

  1. Pain, tenderness, redness, and pruritus at the vaccination site
  2. Fever, headache, fatigue
  3. Muscle pain and arthralgia
  4. Lethargy

  Generally, the mild symptoms subside without treatment. If symptoms seem to get worse, seek advice from a healthcare provider to get the required treatment.

• What to do if I experienced any side effects due to the vaccine?

  You can go to the nearest healthcare center or hospital or contact health authority call center.

• What do I do after taking vaccine?

  After you have had the first dose you, make sure you keep a record of the second dose appointment. It is important to have the two doses of the vaccine to get the optimal vaccine effectiveness.

  It is also important to continue following all the precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

• Can I get vaccinated if I am sick?

  It is better to wait until you have recovered to have your vaccine.

• Can people with history of COVID-19 infection be vaccinated?

  Yes, if the infection was mild or without symptoms, people will be vaccinated. However, if the infection was moderate or severe that required hospitalization, the case will be assessed by the assigned medical team.

• Can I give COVID-19 to anyone, after I have had the vaccine?

  COVID-19 vaccination is an important measure to help stopping the pandemic. However, combination of getting vaccinated and following all the precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 will offer the best protection from COVID-19 virus.

• I have got the flu vaccine; do I need the COVID-19 as well?

  The flu vaccine does not protect you from COVID-19. Both vaccines are important, but should be taken separately, at least two weeks apart.

• What is the time interval between taking COVID-19 vaccine and any other vaccine?

  Minimum interval between a dose of COVID-19 vaccine and any other dose of vaccine is from 2 – 4 weeks depends on the vaccine type.

• Is the vaccination free for the targeted groups?

  Yes, all health services related to vaccination are free of charge.

• Where will the vaccination service be provided?

  The vaccination service is being provided at various public and private healthcare facilities as well as “Majalis” and vaccination centers.

• Can participants of Phase III of the clinical trials be vaccinated?

  No, they cannot for the time being.

• Are people who received the vaccine exempted from home or institutional quarantine?

  Exemption from quarantine is applied 28 days after receiving the second dose. It is important to do the required tests (PCR):

  1. Travel arrivals: upon arrival, day 4 and day 6.
  2. Close contacts of positive COVID-19 case: do the rest at nearest authorized testing facility within 24-48 hours of receiving the notification/ text message.
• Are people who received the vaccine exempted from COVID-19 test upon entry to Abu Dhabi Emirate within the UAE?

  Exemption is applied 28 days after receiving the second dose and getting the letter (E) in Alhosn App.

• Can I stop taking precautionary measures after getting a COVID-19 vaccine?

  No, as to now you must continue to adhere to all the recommended precautionary measures to reduce the spreading of COVID-19 virus such as wearing mask, physical distance and washing hands.

• Will the vaccine provide immunity forever or should be repeat it yearly?

  The concerned health authorities are working currently to determine the periodicity of taking the vaccine, as is the case with other vaccines, such as the seasonal influenza vaccine, to ensure adequate immunity for people.

  It is difficult to determine the exact period of protection provided by the vaccine, because the vaccination rounds only began recently and the vaccine's efficiency may differ from one person to another.

• How can I get more information?

  You may contact call center of the authority:

  1. MOHAP Call Center 80011111
  2. Estijaba Abu Dhabi Call Center 8001717
  3. DHA Call Center 800342
• How does the vaccine work?

  Vaccines contain inactive or weak parts of the organism that causes the disease or the genetic code that would create the same response and stimulate the immune system. This leads the body's immune system to recognise the foreign body and produce antibodies to learn how to fight it.

  The Sinopharm vaccine works by using dead virus particles to expose the body's immune system to the virus without risking a violent reaction, and works to stimulate the human immune system and form antibodies to fight the COVID-19 virus.

  The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine uses messenger RNA, a genetic material that human cells read to make proteins. The molecule, called mRNA for short, is fragile and would be broken down into pieces by the human natural enzymes if it were injected directly into the body. To protect their vaccine, Pfizer and BioNTech wrapped the mRNA in oily bubbles made of lipid nanoparticles. In the meantime, both the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine and the Sputnik V vaccine are adenovirus vectored vaccines and both deliver genetic instructions for the cells of the body to produce the spike protein for SARS-CoV-2.

  The vaccine can reduce the chances of infection with coronavirus and prevent complications resulting from the virus, but no one has yet been able to determine how long the protection will last, as is the case with all vaccines developed to fight the coronavirus.

  The level of antibodies will decrease over the course of months, but the immune system contains special cells called "memory cells" that may retain information about the coronavirus for long periods, up to years. This means that these cells can remember the pathogen in case the infection is encountered again and stimulate the immune system to reproduce the antibodies that fight the virus.

  Researchers found out that these cells underwent many cycles of mutations even after recovery and thus were able to produce more effective antibodies than those initially caused by the infection. Additional laboratory tests indicated that these antibodies were also able to identify mutated strains of the virus, such as the South African strain.

  By following up on the latest scientific developments on the subject of mutated strains of SARS Covid-2 virus, we find that studies have shown the variation of vaccinations in the degree of their effectiveness with the South African strain, and vaccinations are still effective despite this disparity and therefore it is important to emphasize the importance of taking the vaccine and completing the second dose of these vaccines.

• Can I still get infected by the Covid19 after taking the vaccine?

  As the nature of how all vaccines work, most of the recorded infections occur after the first dose and the causes are due to being exposed to the virus from community before the immunity is achieved, which is expected to be reached not less than two weeks after the second dose.

  We advise all individuals to adhere to and not tolerate taking the second dose to ensure the highest rate of disease prevention and to continue preventive measures even after obtaining the two doses.

  People who were exposed to the virus after taking the first dose, and in case of being infected without symptoms or with minor symptoms, we advise them to complete the second dose after full recovery.

  If the symptoms are moderate or severe and require admission to the hospital, then "we advise individuals to see a doctor and take immunology tests to determine the need for a second dose.