Covid-19 vaccine will not break Ramadan fast: Official

Taking a COVID-19 vaccine injection will not break a Muslim’s fast during Ramadan, senior official from the Ministry of Awqaf said.

In a post on Twitter Sheikh Dr Thaqil bin Sayer Al Shammari, Deputy Head of the Court of Cassation in the Supreme Judiciary Council and Head of Shariah Committee the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, said that the vaccine does not break fast because it is taken intramuscularly and not taken orally and it is not nutritious. “Based on this, the committee said that it is permissible to take the vaccine against the virus (Covid 19) during the day in Ramadan for a fasting person,” the post added. “If the fasting person needs to take it during the day in Ramadan, this does not break his fast, because the injections are taken under the skin, intramuscularly,” the Head of the Committee said. Ramadan will begin mid-April as per the moon sighting and officials and scholars in many Arab countries have weighed in saying taking vaccine will not break the fast. To recall, the Chair of the National Health Strategic Group on COVID-19 and Head of Infectious Diseas-es at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Dr. Abdullatif Al Khal addressing a press conference last week clarified about COVID-19 vaccination during the Holy month of Ramadan. When, asked about the continuation of the vaccination campaign during the month of Ramadan and the possibility of getting vaccinated while fasting, Dr. Al Khal had expressed hope that everyone will be keen to get the vaccine even before Ramadan if they are among the eligible groups for the COVID-19 vaccine. He also pointed that the period of Ramadan must be used to accelerate the pace of vaccina-tions because that will help cover a larger proportion of the population.

Dr. Al Khal explained that taking COVID-19 vaccination during fasting does not generally break the fast of its recipient, because the vaccine is not administered intravenously. COVID-19 vaccine is adminis-tered in the muscles, and therefore no one should hesitate during fasting to get vaccinated, Dr. Al Khal had said. He also said that registration for vaccination has begun for Imams, muezzins and other staff of mosques. At present, Pfizer/ BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are administered in Qatar. On March 10, Dr. Al Khal said that over 380,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered since the start of COVID-19 National Vaccination Program with more than 15,000 doses being administered a day at pre-sent. Dr. Al Khal said that the pace of the vaccination programme means that there is finally hope of a grad-ual return to normal for us here in Qatar and people around the world. However, he said people must continue to follow the preventive measures for now.