Covid-19 vaccine: UAE approves plan for Sinopharm booster dose

Covid-19 vaccine: UAE approves plan for Sinopharm booster dose

Officials in the UAE have confirmed plans to administer a booster jab of the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine is now available to those who received their second dose more than six months ago. Dr. Farida Al Hosani, official spokesperson of the UAE health sector, said on Monday during a press briefing that priority for the booster dose will be accorded to the elderly and those with chronic diseases. She added that 73.88 per cent of all eligible groups aged 16 and over had been inoculated, with this number amounting to 80.33 percent for the those over the age of 60. “More than 11.5 million vaccine doses have been administered [the vaccine] to date at a rate of 117.23 per 100 people,” she noted. The UAE’s efforts to offer vaccine doses include supporting friendly countries in overcoming the health crisis and achieving recovery, she further added. The country’s Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) recently approved the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 12 to 15. Dr Al Hosani also stressed that vaccinating children, despite their low infection rate, is very important amidst the gradual resumption of school classes next year. “Expanding vaccine coverage allows