When should you take COVID-19 vaccine, boosters, flu shots? UAE experts weigh in

When should you take COVID-19 vaccine, boosters, flu shots? UAE experts weigh in

Doctors in the United Arab Emirates have urged residents across the country to get their seasonal flu jab on top of their COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots, saying it is important people protect themselves against influenza as well as the coronavirus.

While health experts say it is difficult to predict how the flu season will fare this year, they say it could be worse than in 2020 when the number of people suffering with seasonal flu and other respiratory virus plummeted due to increased hygiene and health safety practices to limit the spread of COVID-19.

For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.

Dr. Azeem Abdul Salam Mohamad, a specialist in internal medicine at Bareen International Hospital - MBZ City, told Al Arabiya English it is still important that everyone has a flu shot – recommended for those aged six months or old – as well as a COVID-19 vaccine.

“Since influenza season cases tend to peak in the winter season, flu shots are highly recommended,” he said.

Can you get a COVID-vaccine and flu shot at the same time?

Mohamad said, medically speaking, it is also safe to get a flu shot and a COVID-19 vaccine or booster shot at the same time.

“It is safe