AMMAN — On July 13, the Ministry
of Health’s announced that, to facilitate travel between Jordan and Saudi
Arabia, which does not recognize the Chinese
Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine, citizens
could register to receive a third dose of vaccine for the purpose of travel and
work, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
اضافة اعلان
Following the announcement, Jordan’s
public discourse was ablaze with rumors that booster shots would be administered
in Jordan.
Other countries, including
the UAE, have already begun offering third doses, as reported by Reuters on
May 18.
In response, a number of
experts and doctors have raised concerns about mixing different kinds of
vaccines, especially if the third jab of the vaccine will be going to high-risk
patients, including those who are immunocompromised.
The rumors may not be
unfounded, as a Health Ministry source who spoke to
Jordan News on condition of anonymity said that the ministry is
expected to issue a statement in the “near future” that will lay out the
mechanism for receiving a third dose and who will be entitled to one.
The source stressed that
mixing different vaccines is not desirable in Jordan, so “the third dose will
be from the same type of vaccine the patient was given in the first two doses.”
“Most of the people who are
going to take a third dose are those who suffer from cancer, kidney failure,
and bone marrow transplants,” the health source said, adding that the ministry
will determine how to ensure the safety of this group.
Doctor and President of the
Jordanian Association for Medical Services Isaac Tawil told
Jordan News that while he advises all his patients to take the vaccine, as it is the best
way to contribute to eliminating COVID-19, “when it comes to mixing different
kinds of vaccines or taking a third jab, it is different.”
“The side effects differ
from person to person and from body to body,” Tawil said.
“Those willing to
take a third jab should undergo some medical exam to make sure their bodies can
endure (a third) jab, especially if they have been suffering from serious diseases
like cancer.”
One person may endure what
the next person may not, and “I suggest this be a decision left to the
responsibility of the patient,” he added.
Mona Sahoury, a Jordanian
who often visits Saudi Arabia to see her children, said that “now things are
different, and the procedures are harder.”
Having to receive a third dose of a
different type of vaccine made the decision of whether to travel a difficult
one.
“I am thinking of postponing
my trip to Saudi Arabia until the pandemic is over,” she told
Jordan News.
After taking her second
dose of Sinopharm, she experienced some side effects that have made her
hesitant for a third.
“If I knew previously that (Sinopharm)
was not verified by countries like Saudi Arabia, I would not have taken it.
As
for now, taking a third jab is not a decision that I will consider,” she said.
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