Pregnancy and Covid-19: what vaccine can I take in Dubai?


Daniel Bardsley
  • English
  • Arabic

Follow the latest updates on the Covid-19 pandemic here

Vaccinations are now available in Covid-19 centres across the emirate, Dubai Health Authority announced on Tuesday.

The DHA will offer the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

It recommends the first of two shots should be taken from the 13th week of pregnancy. Expectant mothers should consult their doctors beforehand.

Dr Muna Tahlak, executive director of the Latifa Hospital for women and children in Dubai, said the directive would protect women.

The National examines the risk of Covid-19 to pregnant women and vaccine safety.

How safe is it to have the vaccine during pregnancy?

As is typical when testing new vaccines, out of an abundance of caution early clinical trials for Covid-19 jabs excluded pregnant women.

However, after it was established that the vaccines were safe, pregnant women were included in some studies. In February, for example, Pfizer and BioNTech began looking at whether their vaccine was safe and well tolerated in pregnant women, and stimulated a good immune response.

In a posting last month, the UK’s National Institute for Health Research, a government agency, said more than 100,000 women had been vaccinated in the US against Covid-19 “without any safety concerns raised”.

Which Covid-19 vaccine should pregnant women receive?

More extensive data has been conducted on the use of vaccines such as Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna for pregnant women. Courtesy: Reuters
More extensive data has been conducted on the use of vaccines such as Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna for pregnant women. Courtesy: Reuters

There has been more data gathered about the safety during pregnancy of mRNA vaccines, such as the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna jabs, largely as a result of their use in pregnant women in the US.

As a result, mRNA vaccines are typically favoured for pregnant women, and this is the approach Dubai has followed by administering the Pfizer-BioNTech jab to expectant mothers.

Similarly, the UK’s National Health Service says “it’s preferable” for pregnant women to have the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna shots. However, in its advice for the UK, the NHS says if a pregnant woman received a first shot of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab and did not suffer any side effects, she should have it for her second dose too.

Are pregnant women particularly affected by Covid-19?

In comments earlier this year, Dr William Gruber, Pfizer’s senior vice president of vaccine clinical research and development, said pregnant women faced “an increased risk of complications and developing severe Covid-19” if they became infected. Although severe illness from Covid-19 is rare in pregnant women, the UK’s NHS states issues are likely to become more serious later in pregnancy.

Women with underlying health conditions are especially vulnerable. The UK government says pregnant women with Covid-19 are more likely than women of the same age who are not pregnant to be admitted to intensive care. Also, catching Covid-19 during pregnancy is thought to result in a two to three-fold increase in the risk of premature birth.

These factors may influence a pregnant woman’s decision on whether to become vaccinated.

What is the situation for breastfeeding women or those trying to become pregnant?

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says there is limited data on the safety of Covid-19 vaccines on breastfeeding women and their babies.

However, it also states that because of the way these vaccines function, they are not thought to pose a risk to breastfeeding women or their babies, so it says such women can receive a Covid-19 jab, a view shared by the World Health Organisation.

The UK’s Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists additionally states that new mothers should not stop breastfeeding in order to be vaccinated. Rumours have spread online suggesting Covid-19 vaccination affects fertility, but experts have said these are false.

The NHS is among many official bodies to confirm the Covid-19 vaccination does not affect a woman’s chance of becoming pregnant, and vaccinated women do not have to avoid trying to become pregnant.

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

Need to know

When: October 17 until November 10

Cost: Entry is free but some events require prior registration

Where: Various locations including National Theatre (Abu Dhabi), Abu Dhabi Cultural Center, Zayed University Promenade, Beach Rotana (Abu Dhabi), Vox Cinemas at Yas Mall, Sharjah Youth Center

What: The Korea Festival will feature art exhibitions, a B-boy dance show, a mini K-pop concert, traditional dance and music performances, food tastings, a beauty seminar, and more.

For more information: www.koreafestivaluae.com

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

How to vote

Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.

They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi

Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday) 

UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
%3Cp%3EFirst%20ODI%20-%20Sunday%2C%20June%204%20%0D%3Cbr%3ESecond%20ODI%20-%20Tuesday%2C%20June%206%20%0D%3Cbr%3EThird%20ODI%20-%20Friday%2C%20June%209%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMatches%20at%20Sharjah%20Cricket%20Stadium.%20All%20games%20start%20at%204.30pm%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20squad%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMuhammad%20Waseem%20(captain)%2C%20Aayan%20Khan%2C%20Adithya%20Shetty%2C%20Ali%20Naseer%2C%20Ansh%20Tandon%2C%20Aryansh%20Sharma%2C%20Asif%20Khan%2C%20Basil%20Hameed%2C%20Ethan%20D%E2%80%99Souza%2C%20Fahad%20Nawaz%2C%20Jonathan%20Figy%2C%20Junaid%20Siddique%2C%20Karthik%20Meiyappan%2C%20Lovepreet%20Singh%2C%20Matiullah%2C%20Mohammed%20Faraazuddin%2C%20Muhammad%20Jawadullah%2C%20Rameez%20Shahzad%2C%20Rohan%20Mustafa%2C%20Sanchit%20Sharma%2C%20Vriitya%20Aravind%2C%20Zahoor%20Khan%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

MIDWAY

Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Abu Dhabi traffic facts

Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road

The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.

Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.

The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.

The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.

Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019

 

The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800
Disclaimer

Director: Alfonso Cuaron 

Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville 

Rating: 4/5

The candidates

Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive

Ali Azeem, business leader

Tony Booth, professor of education

Lord Browne, former BP chief executive

Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist

Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist

Dr Mark Mann, scientist

Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner

Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

 

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

Long read

Mageed Yahia, director of WFP in UAE: Coronavirus knows no borders, and neither should the response

Updated: July 06, 2021, 10:05 AM`