Abu Dhabi: No appointments needed for vaccine booster shots

Walk-in centres open for those due a third jab

Nurses administer vaccines at a Seha Vaccination Centre in Abu Dhabi.

Follow the latest updates on the Covid-19 pandemic here

Booster shots can now be taken without prior appointment at any Seha vaccination centre, the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi has said.

The health authority confirmed Covid-19 vaccines for children, senior citizens and all other residents can be received at walk-in centres across the capital.

The jabs include the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 3 to 17, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children aged 12 and over, and the booster vaccine shot for individuals who have already received their second doses.

As schools prepare to return for the new academic year, the DoH called on all parents in the emirate to get their children vaccinated in order to protect the safety and security of the overall community.

“We continue to strengthen our efforts to maintain the health and safety of all members of the community as it remains at the forefront of our priorities,” said Dr Jamal Mohammed Al Kaabi, undersecretary of the DoH.

“We are committed to making Covid-19 vaccines available and accessible to all Abu Dhabi citizens and residents.

“The whole world has been fighting this pandemic for almost two years and vaccines are the most effective way in defeating it and returning to a normal quality of life.”

Dr Al Kaabi said the vaccine was the only essential way to curb the spread of the pandemic, maximise the prevention of the virus and ensure lives and activities return to normal.

The booster shot for those already double vaccinated is designed to enhance and strengthen the body’s immunity response against the different contagious strains and emergence of new variants.

Authorities issued a directive in early August that those who received their second dose of a Sinopharm or Pfizer vaccine more than six months ago should have a booster shot.

Those in high risk groups, such as the elderly or those living with chronic heath conditions, were advised to seek a booster jab after just three months.