People who have recovered from coronavirus may need to take an immunity test before getting vaccinated, health authorities said on Tuesday.
Dr Omar Al Hammadi, spokesman for the UAE government's regular Covid-19 briefings, said patients who had recovered from the virus would be tested and the vaccine administered if they were low on antibodies.
“According to studies, those who had minor infections or did not show symptoms don’t necessarily have immunity against it. They will get the vaccine after a medical assessment,” he said.
"Patients who suffered severe symptoms and those who were admitted to hospital are likely to develop a strong immunity. They will be advised to take an antibody test and will be inoculated if immunity levels are low."
Dr Al Hammadi reminded people to adhere to all precautionary measures while schools in the country are closed for the winter break.
“It’s the holiday season, schools are closed and more tourists are coming. We should abide by precautions, maintain hygiene and social distancing, wear face masks and be cautious when we interact with the elderly and those with chronic health conditions,” he said.
Between December 9 and 15, the UAE carried out 1,023,607 tests and 8,430 people tested positive.
The rate of new cases from tests conducted is just 1 per cent. There were 26 deaths during the week, which is a 0.3 per cent mortality rate – the lowest in the world.
