Abu Dhabi has approved the use of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The vaccine is available by appointment at selected clinics in Abu Dhabi city, Al Ain and Al Dhafrah. It is the second Covid-19 vaccine approved for use in Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi had started a mass vaccine campaign in mid-December using vaccine manufactured by Chinese firm Sinopharm.

Dubai had started using Pfizer vaccine in December after the UAE approved the vaccine for emergency use that month after trials showed it to be 95%. The vaccine works by introducing messenger RNA (mRNA) to cells, which teaches cells to make a protein from the Sars-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19. Body identifies this protein and triggers immune response producing antibodies.

In Israel, where about 56% of the population has been fully vaccinated with Pfizer, has shown drop in new cases number, with only 152 new cases on Monday from 10,000 in February. Data from Israel shows two doses of the vaccine was at least 97% effective in preventing symptomatic infection, severe or critical disease and death.

In the US, a single dose of Pfizer was 80% effective at preventing infections, and increased to 90% two weeks after the second shot, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said. Pfizer-BioNTech has said after trial involving 44,000 volunteers that vaccine remains “highly protective” six months after the second shot. Company added that people might need booster dose 6 to 12 months after getting vaccinated. After that people would need to be vaccinated every year.

Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla said, “A likely scenario is that there will be likely a need for a third dose, somewhere between six and 12 months and then from there, there will be an annual re-vaccination. But all of that needs to be confirmed. And again, the variants will play a key role.”

The authorities said this week that the Sinopharm vaccine has been more than 90% effective at preventing hospitalization. A study by the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, found that people getting infected after getting fully vaccinated are suffering only mild symptoms and do not require treatment.

Pfizer vaccine is now available at:

Abu Dhabi

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

HealthPoint Hospital

Capital Health Screening centres: Al Jazeera Sports Club, Mubadala Tower in Abu Dhabi and the Al Ain city branch

SEHA: Al Zafranah Diagnostic and Screening Centre, Madinat Mohamed bin Zayed Healthcare Centre and Al Bahia Healthcare Centre

Al Ain

SEHA: Oud Al Touba Diagnostic and Screening Centre and Neima Healthcare Centre

Al Dhafra

Al Dhafra Family Medicine Centre

To book an appointment at SEHA clinics, call 800 50.

To book at Cleveland Clinic, HealthPoint or Capital Screening Centres, email [email protected] or call 800 4959.

Sinopharm is available at more than 100 clinics in Abu Dhabi by appointment or walk-in.