The telegraph
UAE gives exemption for Pfizer non-halal vaccine
The highest Islamic authority in the United Arab Emirates, the Fatwa Council of the United Arab Emirates, decided that vaccines against coronavirus are permitted for Muslims, even if they contain pig gelatine. The decision continues to raise alarm that the use of pig gelatine, a common ingredient in the vaccine, could hinder vaccination among Muslims who consider the consumption of pork products “haram” or prohibited by Islamic law. If there are no alternatives, the council chairman, Sheikh Abdallah bin Bayyah, said that coronavirus vaccines would not be subject to Islam’s restrictions on pork because of the greater need to “protect the human body”. The council added that in this case, pig gelatine is considered a medicine, not a food, with several vaccines already proving effective against a highly contagious virus that “poses a risk to the whole of society. Dubai launched its Covid vaccination program -19 on Wednesday with an elderly man and a nurse among the first to be vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the government said.The United Arab Emirates – which are made up of seven emirates, including the capital Abu Dhabi and Dubai – approved the emergency vaccine registration on Tuesday, the same day that the first batch arrived from abroad, reported the official WAM news agency. Dubai “starts vaccination campaign against Covid-19 ‘Pfizer-BioNTech'”, tweeted Dubai Media Office, together with photos of men and women receiving the jab, added that the first phase of the deployment will target citizens and residents over 60, adults with chronic illnesses, people with special needs s, as well as frontline and other important workers. om the elderly and the nurse, a paramedic, a policeman and a driver were the first to receive the vaccine in Dubai, which states that vaccination will be “free” for all citizens and residents. The first batch arrived on an Emirates cargo flight from Brussels on Tuesday, WAM said. “It was an honor to transport these vaccines for free on our flight,” Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, President and Chief Executive of the airline, said in a statement. The Dubai Media Office said the vaccines will be available at six facilities from health officials. Earlier this month, the United Arab Emirates had already approved the vaccine developed by Chinese drug giant Sinopharm, which said it was 86 percent effective. The vaccine produced by the American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech – which has proved to be 95 percent effective in clinical trials in the final stage – is administered in two doses, 21 days apart. The vaccine must be stored at -70 degrees Celsius (-94 degrees Fahrenheit), a temperature much lower than conventional freezers and which forced the company to develop special packaging for transport. Participation in the vaccination campaign is still voluntary in the United Arab Emirates, but the authorities encouraged the population to be vaccinated. Two vaccines underwent third phase testing in the United Arab Emirates – the Sinopharm project and Russia’s Sputnik-V, in honor of the Soviet-era satellite. Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, said in November that he had received an experimental coronavirus vaccine, joining other senior UAE officials to participate in the tests. The United Arab Emirates has so far registered more than 197,000 cases of the new coronavirus, including 645 deaths.