For the first time Abu Dhabi has permitted mixing of different Covid-19 vaccines. Sinopharm vaccine was approved for public use last year and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19 was approved by Abu Dhabi in April this year. People who have received two doses of the Sinopharm vaccine can voluntarily receive Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at the Mubadala Health vaccination centre. 

Reuter has reported that the UAE and Bahrain have approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine availability as a “booster shot” to those who have received Sinopharm. Reuter quotes a representative of Mubadala Health saying that in Abu Dhabi, the booster shot is available three months after receiving the second shot. A call centre executive at Mubadala Health vaccination centre told Khaleej Times that the vaccine is administered through prior appointments only and a signed consent from doctor is required. There are two consent forms available free of cost at the centres - one is to be filled by the applicant and another by a physician. Both the forms are titled: ‘Consent to take different Covid-19 vaccine type, than the previously received vaccine type’.

“If you have taken Sinopharm before and if you want to take Pfizer, you must book an appointment. You must fill a form. You must take the form to a general doctor, who needs to sign it. You must bring it during your appointment. This is how you could get the Pfizer vaccine if you took Sinopharm before. You can take the Pfizer vaccine three months after the second dose of Sinopharm,” the staff said.

According to the form ‘for the use of the physician’, a doctor has to verify the dates when the person received earlier doses of vaccine and then inform an application that there is “no evidence based scientific studies regarding the safety and efficacy of the vaccine in case of combining different Covid-19 vaccines”. A doctor must tell the person about the common side effects of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. After assessing the medical fitness of the applicant, the doctor can sign the form and give permission to person to get the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. 

A fully vaccinated resident who visited Capital Health Screening Centre, part of Mubadala Healthcare’s network, at Al Jazira Sports Club said the earliest appointment available was by the end of June. “I am not taking the Pfizer vaccine now. I just wanted to verify if this was true as we haven’t heard anything officially yet from the health authorities on mixing of two vaccine types,” he said. 

An applicant has to also give consent to give blood sample in future and contribute to clinical research. People can call 8004959 to book appointments or email to [email protected]