UAE administers ‘booster’ shot to those with no COVID-19 antibodies after vaccine

Some people in the United Arab Emirates were given a third coronavirus “booster” shot after receiving two doses of a vaccine because they had not developed antibodies against the disease, the health sector’s spokeswoman said.

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Vaccinated citizens and residents who did not develop an immune response against the virus could take a third dose, Dr. Farida al-Hosani told local media.

“Some people received a third dose of the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine, but the number is very minimal compared to those who received doses one and two,” she said.

A man receives a dose of a vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19)at St. Paul's Church in Abu Dhabi. (Reuters)

The Chinese vaccine is available for all citizens and resident for free in over 100 different centers around the country.

The vaccine is 79.34 percent effective up to 28 days after the second dose is received, according to the company.

The Pfizer-BioNtech, AstraZeneca-Oxford, and the Sputnik V vaccines are also available in the UAE.

A total of 48.71 percent of the UAE’s population has already received a coronavirus vaccine.

A handout picture taken by the Government of Dubai Media Office on December 23, 2020, shows a health worker administering a dose of the coronavirus vaccine to a nurse at a medical center in the Dubai Emirate. (AFP)

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