Covid vaccine UAE: 67,909 doses administered in 24 hours

Dubai - The ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial of Pfizer/BioNTech’s vaccine has confirmed its protection lasts at least six months after the second dose.

The UAE has administered 67,909 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine in the past 24 hours.

The country's Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) said the total doses administered now stands at 8.5 million. This takes the rate of doses per 100 people to 86.5.

The ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial of Pfizer/BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine has confirmed its protection lasts at least six months after the second dose.

The companies said that the vaccine remains more than 91 per cent effective against disease with any symptoms for six months.

The vaccine also appeared to be fully effective against the worrying B.1.351 variant of the virus -- which is the dominant strain circulating in South Africa and which researchers feared had evolved to evade the protection of vaccines.

Fully vaccinated people can start travelling again if they take precautions such as wearing a mask and observing social distancing, US health authorities said on Friday.

Within the United States, vaccinated people will not have to quarantine or take a Covid-19 test after travelling, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The international travellers headed to the US should have a negative Covid-19 test before they get on the plane, be tested after arrival, and must quarantine if local authorities in the US require it, the CDC said in a statement.