Benny80

Hello fellow Expats

Appreciate thoughts on my dilemma. I'm resident in the UAE and fully (Double dose) vaccinated with Sinopharm from earlier this year plus had a booster of Pfizer one month ago in Cleveland Clinic AUH.

I have the option to get the second dose of Pfizer and i'm sitting on the fence. Contentious issue if it is medically advisable to get a double dose of Pfizer on top of double Sinopharm and that's not my question. (Personally i think the risk/ benefit is sub optimal and a little risky).

My main dilemma is if there is any travel advantage now or potential in the future to being double jabbed with Pfizer (administered in the UAE)? Currently it seems the UK is only recognising approved vaccines administered in the UK, US or select European countries so no real advantage at the moment and would be treated as essentially unvaccinated and requiring quarantine if i return home from the UAE. Appreciate your thoughts and insights and best guesses into the possible travel benefits?

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/red-ambe...ber-list-rules

TIA

UKMS

Personally I would take the two, as time moves on travel (and other areas of life) will be difficult unless you are 'double jabbed' and IMHO having only a single Pfizer will complicate things. Sinopharm has only a limited recognition internationally so having a double Pfizer can only be a good thing. Specifically with the UK my understanding is that its the recognition and authentication of certificates rather than not recognizing the vaccine (Pfizer) and this will change as we move forward.

csdf

Some European countries (e.g. France, when I last looked) did not recognise Sinopharm and would only accept someone with 2x Pfizer as "vaccinated".

Benny80

Thanks UKMS and CSDF. your comments make sense and i appreciate your perspective. My second dose appointment at Cleveland Clinic was today and i chickened out so will have to see if they will let me reschedule or maybe i have missed my chance.

Echoing what UKMS said my concern is that i will be in a weird semi vaccinated status that is not recognized for travel by other countries. Have not been home to see my mum and dad and other family and friends since summer 2019 and keen to get back to the UK as well as get on with business travel in the region.

Millhouse

I heard that there have been some issues with double double jabbed people when they do the 5G firmware update of the chips.

Just get it done. Oh, and you can travel to the U.K. I went - did my home stay and threw a birthday party. All within the rules. 😁

csdf

FWIW, i had a 9 week lag between Pfizer #1 and Pfizer #2 thanks to SEHA's random decision to refuse second doses and treat Pfizer as a single "booster". Though in retrospect maybe that was a good thing because recent data from Europe and elsewhere seems to suggest a longer interval between doses is actually quite helpful, compared to the 3 week standard.

Benny80

Thanks that sounds good. Im thinking to keep it on the backburner to get the second Pfizer jab done later if there appears to be some travel or medical benefit.

Benny80

thanks made me chuckle. In researching how safe the Pfizer is i have gene down a rabbit hole of conspiracy theory fun. I have come to believe there are some shady things going on but wont go there today.

Millhouse

I actually get the concern on the mix and match, although by the looks of it they wear off pretty fast. I also think we will all be in for annual boosters and no one has ever asked me the brand of the previous flu shot before jabbing the next one in.

I got jabbed after having covid explicitly for the travel. One day our diplomatic mission here will sort its act out and get the vaccines recognised.

csdf

I don't get the concern on mix and match. Children routinely get 4 or 5 vaccines injected simultaneously with limited concern raised (outside of anti-vax nutters). With covid, we're talking about two vaccines 6 months apart.

co durham boy

Traffic light system is toast mate . Fill your boots from October the 1st !

Millhouse

I was being polite.

Millhouse

I do hope so. I shall be there on Oct 2nd.

scrubbedexpat141

I'd like to say the same but the next flight I'm on is to Riyadh!

co durham boy

You'll do anything to avoid getting married