Covid-19 in UAE: Vaccinated people are less vulnerable to infection, complications

Abu Dhabi - The UAE has maintained its first place in global ranking in the rate of vaccine doses distributed to every 100 persons.

Over 71 per cent of the UAE population has received the Covid-19 vaccine, representing nearly 91.8 per cent of those eligible.

The information regarding the same was revealed by Dr Farida Al Hosani, Official Spokesperson of the Health Sector.

During the UAE Government Media Briefing on developments in the coronavirus pandemic, Dr Farida Al Hosani stressed that the UAE has maintained its first place in global ranking in the rate of vaccine doses distributed to every 100 persons.

The National Vaccination Campaign continues achieving its objectives, noting that the country has provided over 15 million vaccine doses, to date, and that the vaccine distribution rate reached 152.41 doses for every 100 persons, she added.

She also said that the country has performed over 15 million coronavirus tests.

Dr Al Hosani highlighted that the Covid-19 vaccine has proven its efficiency in reducing infection rates, while not completely preventing it and has reduced hospitalisations and admissions to ICU rates for infected cases.

She pointed out that over 71 per cent of the UAE population has received the vaccine, accounting for 91.8 percent of those eligible, noting that 16 per cent of vaccinated individuals have been infected with Covid-19.

84 per cent of non-vaccinated individuals have been infected with the virus, 11 per cent of vaccinated people who became infected were admitted to hospitals and 89 per cent of non-vaccinated people who were infected were admitted to hospitals.

She clarified that concerning cases admitted to intensive care, the highest percentage was for the non-vaccinated people (92 per cent), while the vaccinated people were 8 per cent.

Dr Al Hosani also said that there was a rise in the death toll in the country this week, compared to the previous week, as a result of the emergence of variants of the virus and due to a lack of adherence to the precautionary measures and a state of hesitance in receiving the vaccine. She added that the majority of infected cases are non-vaccinated, noting that 94 per cent of infected cases were not vaccinated, while 6 per cent were vaccinated.

She stated that there are a number of developments related to the Coid-19 pandemic that require updating and revisiting the existing precautionary measures.

With the cooperation of all, we can make difference, she added.

She highlighted that the "Delta variant" of the virus, noting that its fast transmission, as compared to previous variants, has caused alarm. She added that global studies revealed that its transmission rates are higher by 40 to 60 per cent of other variants, noting that the hospitalisation rates are being maximised after infection, as compared to the "Alpha variant", most notably with cases that suffer from other medical conditions.

She stressed that the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) is collaborating with the relevant authorities to monitor and assess these variants continuously and follows related global developments.

Dr Al Hosani noted that the national monitoring system showed that the most common variants in the country are "Alpha", "Beta" and "Delta", which requires cooperation and accelerating vaccination rates.

She added that the genetic monitoring of the virus variants in the country has shown that the most common variant is "Beta" with 39.2 per cent, followed by "Delta" with 33.9 per cent, and then "Alpha" with 11.3 per cent, highlighting the importance of receiving the second dose of the vaccine to strengthen the body’s immunity and raise the percentage of antibodies in the body.

She also pointed out the importance of receiving the booster dose of the vaccine for elderly people and those suffering from chronic diseases, while highlighting the necessity of the public’s adherence to precautionary measures, including wearing face masks, avoiding gatherings and crowded places, and sanitising to ensure everyone’s safety.

Dr Al Hosani said that with the end of the school year and the beginning of vacation seasons, the public is required to follow instructions when planning vacations, and to make sure to take the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to strengthen the immunity system against diseases.

''We don't advise those who didn't take the vaccine or those who didn't take the second dose for their safety'', she advised travellers to avoid crowded places, to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, regardless of the procedures implemented in these countries.

Moreover, she advised travellers to wear face masks all the time when using public transport, including planes, busses or ships.

She also said that some people might insist on taking more vaccine doses than required, which contradicts physicians’ opinions and may expose them to unnecessary health complications. Therefore, she advised the public to follow the advice of their doctors to protect their health and safety.

Dr Al Hosani further said that the "Al Hosn" application is currently operating with high efficiency, as usual, noting that users may receive their PCR and DPI test results through the application.

She added that the relevant authorities in the country have taken all necessary measures, including technological solutions, to ensure the app’s efficiency.

Dr Al Hosani pointed out that the appearance of the test results and vaccination status on the app is primarily related to the relevant health facility that provided the service, which is responsible for providing the Al Hosn app with the test results and vaccination status.

She also said that the health establishment shall coordinate with the Al Hosn app and provide it with the required information, stressing that the public is required to update their identity information to ensure the efficiency of the app.

She noted that the relevant authorities have updated the "Al Hosn app call centre" and that users may contact its team for any inquiries or questions through the free toll number 8004676.

Dr Al Hosani stressed that the UAE has exerted significant efforts to address the Covid-19 pandemic, and has accomplished numerous achievements in containing the pandemic. She added that the public is required to cooperate and adhere to instructions and precautionary measures to maintain these achievements and help the country recover and return to normalcy.

She added that full adherence to the precautionary and preventive measures implemented by the country to curb the spread of the virus is required to overcome the pandemic, noting that the public is required to take both vaccine doses to support the country’s significant efforts to address the virus.

She highlighted that the country is confident in the awareness of the UAE community to overcome this phase and move forward to recovery and the return to normalcy.