The UAE reiterates its call for the public to get inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine, following reports that more than 8 out of 10 individuals or 84 per cent of the country’s active COVID-19 cases are unvaccinated individuals.
Dr. Farida Al Hosani, official spokesperson of the UAE’s health sector, clarified however that fully vaccinated individuals also need to practice safety measures, citing data that 16 percent of those who got the vaccine in the UAE still got infected with COVID-19. However, majority of the vaccinated residents who contracted the coronavirus only experienced mild symptoms.
“COVID-19 vaccine proved to be effective in reducing infection rate; not preventing it completely. The vaccines also proved to be successful in reducing rates of hospitalization, admission to intensive care and mortality rate,” said Dr. Al Hosani, outlining the benefits and importance of taking the COVID-19 vaccine.
Data from the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA) revealed that among vaccinated individuals who still got COVID-19, only 11% got hospitalized, 8% required intensive care, and 6% other individuals have died.
These numbers attest to the effectiveness of the UAE’s relentless efforts to vaccinate its nationals and residents.
Society’s shield
The UAE also greenlit the booster shot for those who have completed both doses of their COVID-19 vaccine after six months, as well as the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children aged 12 – 15.
Dr. Hussein Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Under-Secretary of Health Centres and Clinics Sector stated that states that the single additional dose will help to boost the immunity of residents against the coronavirus, including children.
“The state’s decision to provide the Pfizer Covid vaccine to the 12 – 15 age group, in addition to the Sinopharm booster dose, clearly reflects the keenness of the state’s wise leadership to immunize community health as a national priority. It is also an important input in the fight against the pandemic to reach the recovery phase and bring life back to normal, thus increasing optimism and reassurance in society,” said Dr. Al Rand.
NCEMA states that this also highlights the UAE’s aim to protect the vulnerable sector from the threat of the coronavirus.
“We stress on the importance of getting booster shot, to improve immunity and increase anti-bodies to fight the virus. Especially for senior citizens and people with chronic diseases, the safety of which is a priority for all of us,” read the statement from NCEMA.
However, this doesn’t mean that residents should get two additional booster shots. Dr. Al Hosani warns that doing so contradicts the advice of medical experts and might expose those who push for the fourth dose to unnecessary health complications.
“We noticed that some insist on taking more than the recommended doses for COVID-19, which contradicts medical opinion and may expose them to undesired complications, so, we advise all to adhere to the medical opinion,” said Dr. Al Hosani.
Countrywide availability
To date, the UAE has provided 15,198,661 COVID-19 vaccine doses free for everyone living in the country. This translates to a rate of 153.67 doses per 100 people, making the UAE the world’s leading country in terms of vaccine distribution among its country’s total population.
A combination of dedicated COVID-19 vaccination sites from the public health sector, cooperation of private healthcare institutions, and contactless digital appointments has made it easy and accessible for all residents to book their COVID-19 vaccine at their convenience.
In addition, a total of four approved vaccines in the UAE are available for the public. These include Sinopharm; Pfizer-BioNTech; AstraZeneca; and Sputnik V. Apart from these, the UAE also spearheaded the production of its own vaccine called “Hayat-Vax” – a localized version of the Sinopharm vaccine coming from the joint venture between G42, a leading technology company based in Abu Dhabi, and the Sinopharm CNBG (China National Biotec Group).
Beyond the published efficacy rates of each individual COVID-19 vaccine, Dr. Al Hosani affirmed that it’s far more important to get the jab to prevent any severe complications for all residents, and assured that the UAE’s health sector continues to provide options to bring the best available vaccines to the public.
“We believe that there is no best one [vaccine] and that it is important to provide options to the community to enhance the uptake. The list of approved vaccines is increasing globally and the UAE always tries to bring the best for its people, so there will be a review of the latest updates and [we’ll] make sure we upgrade our programmes,” said Dr Al Hosani.
Authorities hope that the public continues to adhere to the COVID-19 preventive measures as the UAE treads its path to the new normal.
“We also call upon all to adhere to the precautionary and preventative measures, like wearing masks, avoiding gatherings and crowded places and hand sanitization, to ensure the safety of all,” read the statement from NCEMA.
