UAE offers Sinopharm coronavirus booster shots amid questions on Chinese vaccine efficacy

UAE offers Sinopharm coronavirus booster shots amid questions on Chinese vaccine efficacy

The United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday that it will offer an additional dose of the Chinese-developed Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine to people who have already received two shots of the vaccine more than six months ago. The decision marks a significant expansion in the UAE’s booster shot program, which is among the first in the world.

The country had previously administered a third Sinopharm shot to some people whose immune systems did not create enough antibodies after vaccination. In March, a top researcher at G42, an Abu Dhabi-based firm that held late-stage trials of the Sinopharm vaccine said that very few people would likely need the booster.

G42 didn’t immediately return a request for comment.