UAE approves COVID-19 booster shots for all fully vaccinated adults

Fully vaccinated adults who received full doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Sputnik vaccines are eligible for COVID-19 booster shots. The Ministry of Health and Prevention has approved the booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for anyone aged 18 years old and above who received their second dose six months ago.

Wondering how to get your COVID-19 booster shot? The United Arab Emirates government is encouraging citizens to register for their third shot “without delay” in light of rising COVID-19 cases globally and growing concerns over the new Omicron variant, especially for older adults and those with chronic conditions. The directive was shared at a press conference on Sunday November 28.

You might also like: UAE restricts inbound travel from certain African countries

The COVID-19 guidelines in the UAE continue to stress the importance of maintaining physical distancing, regular hand washing and wearing masks to keep everyone safe.

Prior to the coronavirus booster shot announcement, boosters jabs in the UAE were limited to people who previously received Pfizer-BioNTech or the Russia-developed Sputnik vaccines and who had health conditions or those aged 18 to 59 working on the front lines.

Similarly, those who took the Sinopharm vaccine in the United Arab Emirates had a deadline in September to receive booster shots, if they were vaccinated more than six months ago.

At the start of November 2021, the UAE approved emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for kids aged 5 to 11, in an effort to boost the country’s vaccine roll-out.

Prior to the update, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was only available to those 12 years old and up. The vaccine was administered in two doses, taken 21 days part.

The UAE has ranked third in the world for its resiliency and response to COVID-19.
At the new press conference, Dr Farida Al Hosani, a government health spokesperson, highlighted that 100 percent of the UAE’s population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and over 90 percent are fully vaccinated, but it is important to still be vigilant and ensure everyone has their doses.

The United Arab Emirates recently implemented measures to keep everyone safe from the coronavirus and specifically the new strain, Omicron or B.1.1.529. Effective November 29 until further notice, the Dubai COVID 19 Command and Control Centre (CCC) will not accept travellers “originating from, or transiting from” seven countries in Africa: Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Additionally, the UAE updated its border entry rules for KSA and Oman on November 23 so travellers would need a negative 14-day PCR test.