Covid-19: UAE vaccinates 8% of its population, aims to inoculate 50% during Q1 2021

The UAE has successfully inoculated 8 per cent of its population against the Covid-19 pathogen, health officials have confirmed.

Dr. Farida Al Hosani, the spokesperson for the country’s health sector confirmed that 826,301 doses of the Covid 19 virus vaccine have been administered to date, equivalent to 47,000 doses per day.

“Eight per cent of the total population of the country has been covered so far, and we aim to reach more than 50 per cent of the country’s population during the first quarter of the year 2021,” she added.

د.فريدة: 826,301 جرعة من لقاح فيروس كوفيد 19 تم إعطاؤها حتى اليوم، أي ما يعادل 47 ألف جرعة يومياً، وتم تغطية 8% من إجمالي سكان الدولة حتى الآن، ونهدف للوصول إلى أكثر من 50 % من سكان الدولة خلال الربع الأول من عام 2021.

— UAEGov (@uaegov) January 5, 2021

“The vaccination has proven 100 per cent successful, effective and safe for senior citizens and residents over 60 years of age. Therefore, we recommend that all people within this category get the vaccine,” Dr Al Hosani said.

“The vaccine is optional and not compulsory, and it is done through two doses with a time difference of 3-4 weeks between the two doses, and preventive measures must be continued in the community from wearing masks, physical distancing and washing hands, even if the vaccine is taken,” she further noted.

The UAE recorded 1,967 new cases, 1,866 recoveries and three deaths on January 5. The case count across the country has now risen to 216,699.

The UAE officially registered the Sinopharm and Pfizer BioNTech vaccine for use last month. Dubai commenced its Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination campaign last month itself, while Abu Dhabi rolled out its free vaccination programme earlier this week.

Read: Abu Dhabi launches free Covid-19 vaccination campaign

Read: Covid-19: All you need to know about Dubai’s Pfizer vaccination campaign