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Covid-19: Walk-in vaccination centres for students, teachers open in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi - It is the latest initiative to facilitate a safe return to school for the new academic year which begins in September.

Walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centers have been opened up for students aged 12 and above, teachers and administrative staff in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, authorities have announced.

It is the latest initiative to facilitate a safe return to school for the new academic year which begins in September.

The new vaccination centres were rolled out in collaboration between the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek), Department of Health - Abu Dhabi (DoH), Abu Dhabi Public Health Center (ADPHC), and Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA). It follows the recent success of Adek’s pop-up vaccination center at Yas Mall, where over 1,800 students were vaccinated.

The dedicated centers in the Green Hall at the Mina Zayed Vaccination Center in Abu Dhabi and Green Hall at Al Ain Convention Center in Al Ain are open daily from 8:00am until 8:00pm until October 31.

Appointments are not required, though students below the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

“With students aged 16 and above requiring vaccination to return to face-to-face in-school learning for the new academic year, the new vaccination centers are designed to make the process as easy as possible and facilitate a smooth return to school for the entire education community. We encourage parents to continue playing their vital part and vaccinate their children,” said Amer Al Hammadi, the Undersecretary of Adek.

As per requirements for a three-week window between the two doses, all members within the education community, are advised to receive their first vaccination as early as possible.

The new dedicated centers offer first, second and booster doses Pfizer-BioNTech and Sinopharm vaccines which students and the wider education community can access either at these two centers or any other DoH approved vaccination center. The entire procedure, including post-vaccination observation, should take no more than 40 minutes.

Residents can walk into the new centers without an appointment but must present their Emirates ID at registration, while new arrivals to the school community will need to show a passport and entry permit with UID.

Registration also includes presenting an employee ID, employment or enrolment letter from a school, and displaying green or grey status on the Al Hosn app.

Students below the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian not younger than 21 years old. However, only one parent or legal guardian per family is allowed into the centers to avoid overcrowding and ensure a streamlined vaccination process.

Adek had clarified that pupils aged between three and 15 years do not need to be vaccinated to attend in-classroom teaching.

However, pupils, aged 16 and above, must be administered the jab. They are allowed to attend in-classroom teaching only after 28 days after the second dose of a UAE-approved vaccine has been administered.

Students with vaccination exemptions can enter school premises provided the exemption is verified on their Al Hosn app or through an official letter from a DoH authorized vaccination provider such as SEHA or Mubadala Health.

Data from Adek showed that 89 per cent of the educational staff in all private schools in Abu Dhabi have been vaccinated.

ismail@khaleejtimes.com