64% Dubai residents fully vaccinated against Covid-19

Over 2.3 million residents in Dubai have received the Covid-19 vaccine, a top official said on Saturday.

The Emirate is well on track to complete its target of vaccinating 100 per cent of eligible residents by the end of this year.

In an interview with Dubai TV, Dr Alawi Al Sheikh Ali, deputy director general of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), said 83 per cent of the target groups have received at least one dose. About 64 per cent have taken both, he said.

Only about 20 per cent of the target groups are yet to receive the vaccine, said Dr Alawi.

These stats are on par with the overall UAE success rate in administering the vaccine.

As on June 8, close to 85 per cent of the eligible residents in the country have received the vaccine. Additionally, over 95 per cent of the elderly population have been vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Overall, the UAE has administered over 13.78 million Covid vaccine doses. At 139.38 doses per 100 residents, the country has the world’s highest vaccination distribution rate.

In the Dubai TV interview, Dr Alawi had explained that the “vast majority” of Covid-19 infections are detected among those who did not receive the vaccine.

Citing DHA studies, he said eight out of 10 people who tested positive for Covid-19 were unvaccinated.

Additionally, nine out of 10 patients with Covid-19, who were hospitalised and admitted in the ICU, were unvaccinated.

Dr Alawi said the vaccine reduces the risk of disease and hospitalisation.

“Studies have shown that the vast majority of Covid-19 infections are detected among those who did not receive the vaccine,” Dr Alawi said.

A study conducted earlier by the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC) revealed that no deaths were reported among fully vaccinated Covid-19 patients in the UAE Capital.

There was also a significant decrease in the Covid-19 infection rate among those who received both doses of the vaccine. Additionally, the efficacy of vaccination in preventing hospitalisation is 93 per cent and reducing the need for ICU is 95 per cent.