ABU DHABI, The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has highlighted the importance of vaccination as an effective instrument in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, especially as new variants continue to emerge.

In a statement on Tuesday, the ministry said it is continuing its efforts to vaccinate all target segments of society, to boost their immunity and prevent further infections.

The ministry, in cooperation with local health authorities, offers vaccination services across hundreds of centres around the country, as well as home services to help vaccinate those with medical conditions preventing them from travelling to vaccination centres.

It also announced a list of categories exempted from taking the vaccine to ensure the safety of all citizens and residents who have received the vaccine, in line with the requirements of international medical organisations.

The ministry identified seven such categories, namely active cases infected with COVID-19, volunteers in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials, pregnant women, people vaccinated outside of the country, people who have previously contracted COVID-19 following a medical assessment, people who have severe allergies to vaccines or vaccine ingredients, and people with diseases proven to interact negatively with the vaccine.

The ministry stressed that exempt categories should present an exemption certificate issued by accredited health centres, clinics and hospitals, and an attending physician will assess the request and submit a medical report to relevant health authorities for approval. The applicant will then be informed via SMS on whether their application is approved or not, and exemptions will appear on the Al Hosn app.

The ministry urged all eligible citizens and residents to take the vaccine, to help boost the acquired community immunity and curb the spread of the virus.

Source: Emirates News Agency