With hundreds of thousands of Covid-19 vaccine doses now being given every day, doctors are being bombarded with questions.
Should I get the vaccine if I've already had Covid-19?
If I got the first vaccine shot, then catch the virus from a carrier, should I still get the second? And how long do I wait after I recover?
The National put your questions to Dr Abul Fazil, an internal medicine specialist at Aster Clinic in Barsha, Dubai.
“A lot of people want to be vaccinated but they have many doubts and queries,” he said.
Others have been turned away by medical centres because their blood pressure was not within the accepted, safe range.
Here are answers to some of your questions:
Can I take the vaccine if I have a cough or cold?
If you have a minor cold and cough, you can still receive the vaccine. But you will be turned away if you have a fever or are feeling quite sick. You may be asked to take a PCR swab test.
The immune system should be as healthy as possible when you receive the vaccine shot.
And medics cannot give you the vaccine if you are still Covid-19 positive – particularly if you were given hospital drugs to help reduce the symptoms.
What happens if I take the vaccine if I have flu, fever or Covid?
Two or three days after inoculation, the body begins producing antibodies as part of an immune response. Some people experience joint pain or a headache.
If you already have a fever or body aches due to your cold, these symptoms can worsen after vaccination. You may then need medication stronger than paracetamol to control the fever.
Even if your cold is a result of influenza or another respiratory infection, your body is already experiencing an inflammatory process.
The moment you take the vaccination, the immune responses become more aggravated and a patient can get worse.
As a result, doctors normally suggest that people with even a mild fever delay their vaccination.
Who else may be turned away or asked delay their vaccine?
Patients with chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension will be vaccinated, but only if the disease is under control.
A chronic diabetic taking medication must keep their sugar levels under control to get the vaccine.
If an individual's blood pressure is higher than 140/90, then they will be advised to avoid vaccination.
If someone has food allergies, they can still be immunised. If someone has a severe allergy to medicines, antibiotics or previous vaccines, then doctors will likely not administer the vaccine.
Why are you asked to wait for 15 minutes after the shot?
Medics advise people who get vaccinated to wait in the centre for 15 to 30 minutes in case they develop side effects. If they do, these can be quickly managed with simple medication.
Some people may have no symptoms, others may develop fever after vaccination.
Severe cases of anaphylactic shock are very rare. In this case, the person will have extreme difficulty breathing and will require emergency hospital treatment. But this will happen within a 15 to 30-minute window. It will not occur after three or four days.
On day three or five, you may develop a fever, body pain, severe headache, or lymph node enlargement. All these symptoms are good because it means the immune system is working.
I received one vaccine dose, then caught Covid-19 – do I still take the second dose?
If a person contracts Covid-19 after the first vaccine dose, the second dose should be deferred until recovery.
That may mean deferring the second dose until after 90 days.
I've already had Covid-19. Do I still need to be vaccinated?
People who have recovered from Covid-19 will still need to be vaccinated if they no longer have antibodies against the disease. Medics suggest people wait three months before getting an antibody test and then getting vaccinated again if needed.
There is no data to suggest life-long immunity for Covid-19 patients. There is not enough information yet to say for how long after an infection a person is protected from getting Covid-19 again. Present data suggests natural antibodies last between three to six months.
A Public Health England study last month found that British medics who caught and recovered from the virus had about 83 per cent ongoing protection after five months.
But an infected patient is not immune and can get the virus again, so people should get vaccinated – not only to protect themselves but to protect the community.
Which vaccine should I take?
Doctors and the UAE government insist that all vaccines being used are safe, and at this stage have been tested on and administered to millions of people.
Everybody’s immune response is different. It is important to remember that when you take the vaccine the body produces antibodies but that does not prevent you from getting Covid-19. This vaccine prevents you from developing severe complications from the virus.
Taking a vaccine will prepare your immune response so, if you contract Covid-19, the body will react faster and the virus can be neutralised.
Vaccines are administered in two doses so adequate antibodies are produced.
Some vaccines produce a robust immune response within a few days, while others take between four to six weeks.
By six weeks we can be sure the antibody response is good to counter the virus.
Will I need another shot in the future?
We do not have enough data yet to understand which vaccine produces the best long-term immune response.
We may know this by early next year and there will be enough data to determine which vaccine will stay in the market.
The vaccines currently available may require booster shots or we may need completely new vaccines if more variants of the virus develop.
Can pregnant women take the vaccine?
The vaccine should not be administered to a pregnant or a breastfeeding mother.
If a woman is planning to get pregnant within the next three months, she is not eligible for the vaccine in accordance with UAE guidelines.
Read more: Scientists dismiss rumours about Covid-19 vaccines affecting fertility
Rafael Nadal's record at the MWTC
2009 Finalist
2010 Champion
Jan 2011 Champion
Dec 2011 Semi-finalist
Dec 2012 Did not play
Dec 2013 Semi-finalist
2015 Semi-finalist
Jan 2016 Champion
Dec 2016 Champion
2017 Did not play
Company%20profile
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8
Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Price: from Dh850,000
On sale: now
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
PRO BASH
Thursday’s fixtures
6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors
10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters
Teams
Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.
Squad rules
All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.
Tournament rules
The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
Abu Dhabi GP Saturday schedule
12.30pm GP3 race (18 laps)
2pm Formula One final practice
5pm Formula One qualifying
6.40pm Formula 2 race (31 laps)
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Profile of MoneyFellows
Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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Men's football draw
Group A: UAE, Spain, South Africa, Jamaica
Group B: Bangladesh, Serbia, Korea
Group C: Bharat, Denmark, Kenya, USA
Group D: Oman, Austria, Rwanda
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Infobox
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August
Results
UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets
Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets
Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets
Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs
Monday fixtures
UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain
The five pillars of Islam
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
More coverage from the Future Forum
Visa changes give families fresh hope
Foreign workers can sponsor family members based solely on their income
Male residents employed in the UAE can sponsor immediate family members, such as wife and children, subject to conditions that include a minimum salary of Dh 4,000 or Dh 3,000 plus accommodation.
Attested original marriage certificate, birth certificate of the child, ejari or rental contract, labour contract, salary certificate must be submitted to the government authorised typing centre to complete the sponsorship process
In Abu Dhabi, a woman can sponsor her husband and children if she holds a residence permit stating she is an engineer, teacher, doctor, nurse or any profession related to the medical sector and her monthly salary is at least Dh 10,000 or Dh 8,000 plus accommodation.
In Dubai, if a woman is not employed in the above categories she can get approval to sponsor her family if her monthly salary is more than Dh 10,000 and with a special permission from the Department of Naturalization and Residency Dubai.
To sponsor parents, a worker should earn Dh20,000 or Dh19,000 a month, plus a two-bedroom accommodation
The years Ramadan fell in May
The five pillars of Islam
Classification from Tour de France after Stage 17
1. Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) 73:27:26"
2. Rigoberto Uran (Colombia / Cannondale-Drapac) 27"
3. Romain Bardet (France / AG2R La Mondiale)
4. Fabio Aru (Italy / Astana Pro Team) 53"
5. Mikel Landa (Spain / Team Sky) 1:24"
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE TWIN BIO
Their favourite city: Dubai
Their favourite food: Khaleeji
Their favourite past-time : walking on the beach
Their favorite quote: ‘we rise by lifting others’ by Robert Ingersoll
