Egypt's Dar al-Ifta Authorizes Use of COVID-19 Vaccine Containing Pork Components

Arab World

December 27th, 11:51am

Cairo - Asharq Al-Awsat

A member of the medical team sprays disinfectant for the COVID-19 outbreak at a metro station in Cairo, Egypt. (Reuters)

Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta said the coronavirus vaccine, which is said to contain a porcine substance, is not forbidden according to the Islamic Sharia as long as this substance has been transformed into another one. In a fatwa issued on Saturday, Dar al-Ifta said the porcine substance has been transformed into another during the manufacturing process of the vaccine, and thus there is no judgment based on the impurity that it once was. In this regard, Dar el Iftaa has allowed people to be treated by the vaccine when its manufacturing substance is transformed. Also, Al-Azhar issued a fatwa prohibiting the violation of the precautions issued by authorities to curb the spread of the virus. Al-Azhar Fatwa Global Center renewed its warning against violating the preventive measures after the country reported a spike in infections. The Center reiterated Saturday that citizens must abide by the measures and the instructions of the Health Ministry, issued to limit the spread of the coronavirus. It warned that the virus can harm those who don’t follow the precautions, as well as their families and people they meet or work with. The Health Ministry also reiterated that it was necessary to clean and sterilize mosques throughout the country and ensure that worshipers maintain social distance while toilets and shrines remain closed. Egypt recorded on Saturday 1,133 new coronavirus cases, bringing the country’s total number of confirmed cases to 130,126. The Ministry reported in a statement that 49 patients have also died from the virus over the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 7,309.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2706451/egypts-dar-al-ifta-authorizes-use-covid-19-vaccine-containing-pork-components