How the UAE got the vaccination drive right, and for free

How the UAE got the vaccination drive right, and for free

Many residents have taken a third booster dose. Some have even taken a fourth. All this has been for free as the government opened its coffers for the sake of public health

What’s commendable about the UAE’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic is that treatment for the disease and vaccination have been free. For over two years, the government managed to keep the situation under control despite seasonal spikes in cases.

Thanks to the early and smooth rollout of the vaccination campaign, people are moving on with their lives, recovering what has been lost. The first wave was followed by the deadlier Delta and the current, milder Omicron wave.

The Covid situation in the country can now be described as endemic, though there may be different interpretations as to what endemicity means. To make it simple: the disease has been contained and the spread has been restricted in the UAE either through vaccination or infection.

Perhaps the UAE could be among a few countries in which the disease is now only ‘seasonal’. There is a better understanding of the disease and there’s no panic. Daily deaths are almost nil.

There’s a sense of comfort, but authorities are not complacent and have asked residents to mask