Dubai’s Emirates rolls out vaccination programme for its staff

Dubai-based Emirates Group has rolled out a Covid-19 vaccination programme for its workforce based in the UAE, it announced on Monday.

Priority will be given to the frontline aviation workforce, including cabin crew, flight deck and other operationally focused roles.

“Emirates is one of the first airlines in the world to rollout a Covid-19 vaccination programme for its workforce, ensuring the health and wellbeing of aviation employees who serve the travelling public and help move essential goods around the world,” the airline said on Twitter.

The Emirates Group will offer the Pfizer-BioNTech and Sinopharm vaccines, which have been approved by the UAE health authorities, at various company locations across the UAE.

The programme is being carried out in coordination with the Dubai Health Authority and the Ministry of Health and Prevention.

Inoculation appointments will run 12 hours a day, seven days a week, Dubai Media Office said.

Emirates employees in the UAE can also opt to get vaccinated at government designated medical centres and clinics.

The Emirates Group today rolled out a COVID-19 vaccination programme for its workforce based in the UAE, with priority being placed on the frontline aviation workforce, including Cabin Crew, Flight Deck and other operationally focused roles. https://t.co/rOIxRBQQwv (1/2) pic.twitter.com/mq3Yi0G5ML

— Emirates Airline (@emirates) January 18, 2021

The UAE is ranked second highest in the world for vaccination rates, with over 19.04 doses administrated for every 100 people, according to the data compiled by Our World In Data, a research website based at Oxford University.

Close to 1.9 million vaccinations have been given to citizens and residents since their rollout in December 2020.

The UAE is also on track to inoculate over 50 per cent of its population by the end of March.

The country reported 3,471 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, taking the total number of infections to 256,732.

It also announced six deaths and 2,990 additional recoveries.