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Dubai: Do you feel like everyone around you is feeling under the weather or experiencing a fever or blocked nose? It’s probably the effect of the flu season.
To stay safe, you can simply head down to your local pharmacy in Abu Dhabi and get the seasonal influenza vaccine.
On Monday, December 5, Abu Dhabi’s Department of Health (DoH) announced that it had approved a group of pharmacies in the Emirate to administer seasonal influenza vaccines. All individuals over the age of 18 are eligible for the seasonal influenza vaccine.
Here are all the details.
Pharmacies administering the flu vaccine in Abu Dhabi
These are the pharmacies that DoH has approved to provide the flu vaccine:
Abu Dhabi City
1. Al Manara Pharmacy – Yas Mall
2. Al Thiqa Al Almyiah – Zayed the First Street
3. Al Thiqa Al Dowaliah – Al Muroor Street and Electra Street
Al Ain
1. Al Ain Pharmacy
• Al Tiwayaa – Central District
• Al Jimi – Al Manaseer
2. New Al Ain Pharmacy – Al Muwaiji
Is the vaccine free?
There are some categories that can receive the flu vaccine for free. These are:
• Pregnant women
• People over the age of 50 years
• Haj and Umrah pilgrims
• Healthcare professionals at high risk of infection
• Thiqa health insurance holders.
Cost of the vaccine for other categories
If you do not fall under any of the categories listed above, you will have to pay between Dh100 to Dh150, depending on the charges of each pharmacy.
Do I need to book an appointment?
This depends on the pharmacy that you wish to visit. It is advisable to reach out to them in advance to find out if they are taking walk-ins or need you to book an appointment.
Other centres where you can get the flu vaccine
You can also get the flu vaccine at private clinics and hospitals in Abu Dhabi and public health screening centres operated by the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA).
If you want to get the influenza vaccine at a SEHA health centre, you will need to book an appointment on the SEHA app, which is available for Apple and Android devices, or call the SEHA call centre – 80050
The vaccine is free of charge for these categories at SEHA centres:
• Children under 18
• Pregnant women
• Healthcare workers
• Individuals with comorbidities
• Citizens and residents over the age of 50
• Thiqa cardholders
If you do not fall under any of the categories, you will have to pay Dh50 for the flu vaccine.
Click here to find out how you can book a flu vaccine in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain.
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