Unvaccinated residents at high risk of getting infected with COVID-19, warns UAE

The UAE authorities have said that those who are not vaccinated are at high risk of getting infected with COVID-19.

An official of the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) during the weekly media briefing on Tuesday said that countries that have implemented national vaccination campaigns have succeeded in controlling the pandemic to a large extent.

The official said, “The virus mutations are monitored and followed up on an ongoing basis to identify the latest developments and their impact on the effectiveness of various vaccinations.

“We stress that mutations pose a high risk to society, especially for those who are not vaccinated. Therefore, we call upon members of the community who are not vaccinated to take the available vaccinations.”

The Ministry said, “We recommend eligible individuals to rush to take the vaccination to protect them, protect their family members and the community, and support national efforts to achieve community acquired immunity and reach the stage of recovery.”

"The booster dose is a way to enhance the immune response. When you get the booster dose, the antibodies reappear and their numbers rise in the body, in addition to the increased presence of specialized memory cells as they are programmed to target and eliminate the pathogen," the official said.

A study has showed that those who are vaccinated with all the prescribed doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and the booster dose are less exposed to infection and complications of the disease, admission to hospitals, reduced length of stay in hospitals, and no need for respirators compared to the unvaccinated group.

The official said "the health authorities are keen to provide booster doses of the same type of vaccine in addition to providing them from other vaccines, according to the medical evaluation and the desire of the people. We advise people with chronic diseases and the elderly category of the importance of obtaining supportive doses."