One week after it was announced the UAE government had approved a COVID-19 vaccine to be administered on frontline workers, the doses are starting to be given to doctors, nurses and others.
Just a few days ago, the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine was administered in the UAE, which was given to the country’s Minister of Health and Prevention, Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al Owais.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has begun giving doses of the vaccine to the medical staff at Al Qassimi Hospital for Women and Children, which is located in Sharjah, according to the Khaleej Times.
Discussing the new vaccine, the MoHAP issued a statement saying, “This step clearly underlines the interest and support of the wise leadership for all workers in the health sector and its commitment to providing them with the highest levels of safety.”
The Ministry also clearly stated that those who are receiving doses of the vaccine will be closely monitored.
“Those who got vaccinated will be under careful and continuous medical supervision along with necessary examinations to spot any adverse effects that may arise,” they said.
Per the UAE’s state news agency WAM, the vaccine was developed by Chinese drug maker Sinopharm and has undergone extensive testing in the UAE with over 31,000 volunteers taking part in the trial over the last couple of months.
Upon the announcement that the vaccine had been approved by the UAE government, the principal investigator and chairperson of the National Clinical Committee for Coronavirus, Dr Nawal A-Kaabi noted that the initial results are “encouraging”, but that studies will be ongoing.
“The initial results are encouraging in terms of the presence of antibodies in the body,” Dr Al Kaabi said.
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Feature Image: WAM
