Covid vaccine UAE: Plan to vaccinate 50% population in first quarter

Approximately eight per cent of the country's total population has received the Covid-19 vaccine, the NCEMA revealed in an official press briefing on Tuesday.

Dr Farida Al Hosani, Official Spokesperson for the UAE Health Sector, noted that 826,301 Covid-19 vaccines have been administered, which is the equivalent of 47,000 doses per day, and eight per cent of the country's total population.

"We aim to reach more than 50 per cent of the country's population during the first quarter of this year," she said. "This will help us reduce cases in general, reduce critical cases in particular, and control the disease better in the next phase."

The authority noted that there has been an increase of Covid cases in the country. "Our goal in the next stage is to control the increase in the number of cases by reviewing the precautionary measures applied in establishments and institutions and emphasizing the commitment of all members of society to preventive measures," said Dr Farida.

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"We aim to focus on vaccination for the largest possible percentage of society, and access to the acquired immunity resulting from vaccination, which will help reduce the number of cases and control the disease," she added.

Dr Farida emphasised that the people who are most vulnerable, such as the elderly and those with chronic diseases, have priority for receiving the vaccine. "We focus on this category to ensure their protection. The vaccination has proven 100 per cent successful, effective and safe for senior citizens and residents over 60 years of age, and therefore we advise all people in this category to get the vaccine," she said.