Abu Dhabi says no vaccines for tourists, changes app posting

An Emirati man wears a protective mask as he walks past buildings in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The Abu Dhabi media office issued a statement clarifying the city was offering free Covid-19 vaccines only to those with valid or expired residency visas, ‘which does not include holders of valid tourist or visitors visas’. — Reuters

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: The capital of the United Arab Emirates announced on June 24 that it will not allow tourists flying into the emirate to receive coronavirus vaccines, days after a government app suggested anyone with a tourist visa could get the shot.

The UAE’s government-run media office did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Earlier this week, the Abu Dhabi health authority’s phone application showed updated criteria for vaccine access, saying visitors to the Emirati capital could now get the Pfizer-BioNTech or Chinese state-backed Sinopharm jab by presenting their passports.