A Chatham GP has joined other medical leaders and Islamic scholars to stress that Ramadan should not stop anyone from getting the Covid-19 vaccination.
Dr Shaizir Aly, partner at Bryant Street Medical Centre and Joint Clinical Director at Medway Central Primary Care Network, says that getting the jab does not break the fast observed by Muslims during daylight hours throughout Ramadan. He also stressed it is a religious duty for Muslims to get vaccinated when their turn comes.
Dr Aly said: “I want to say how important it is for you all to take the Covid-19 vaccine. It has been certified by the Muslim Council of Britain, and the British Islamic Medical Association, as being halal. It has also been shown there is no invalidation of the fast if you take the vaccine during the hours of fasting in Ramadan.”
The British Islamic Medical Association, an affiliate of the Muslim Council of Britain, has issued specific advice, recommending the vaccine and insisting it is okay to have during Ramadan as it is not nutritional, nor does it contain any animal or foetal products. Full ingredient lists are published by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA): AstraZeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna.
Imam Yunus Dudhwala, Head of Chaplaincy at Barts Health NHS Trust, said: “This Ramadan will continue to be different. The vast majority of scholars have deemed taking the vaccine whilst fasting as permissible and stated that it does not break the fast.
“The experts have stated that the COVID-19 vaccine is effective and the best way of protecting yourself and your loved ones. I ask my Muslim brothers and sisters to consider taking the vaccine when called.
“If you have concerns about the vaccine, please talk to a healthcare professional and make an informed decision. I would like to extend my best wishes to all, especially my colleagues working in the NHS, for the month of Ramadan – Ramadan Mubarak.”