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Increase in UAE Covid cases: Vaccination drive to control virus spread, says official

Dubai - 'The UAE is keen to provide vaccinations to young people and those who are 18 years and older'

As the UAE aims to vaccinate over 50 per cent of the population in the first quarter of the year, government officials on Tuesday announced that next on their priority list are residents over the age of 18.

Also read: UAE registers highest number of cases

The initial phase of the nationwide vaccine rollout prioritises the elderly, frontliners and those with chronic diseases. As the campaign moves to the next phase, young residents will be targeted, Dr Farida Al Hosani, the official spokesperson for the health sector, said during the virtual briefing on Tuesday.

Also read: 8% of UAE population vaccinated against Covid

“The UAE is keen to provide vaccinations to young people and those who are 18 years and older, as they are contributing the most to the spread of the disease due to the nature of their lives and activities,” she said.

“We believe that it is necessary to provide them with the vaccine to limit the increase in cases in the next stage.”

Currently, eight per cent of the country’s population have already taken the jab, which is being administered for free across the Emirates.

During the briefing, Dr Al Hosani acknowledged that there has been a marked increase in Covid-19 cases worldwide. In the UAE, she said, the spike is a result of the increase in the number of people commuting between emirates. “This is in addition to the presence of cases coming from outside the UAE, arriving at various airports,” explained Dr Farida.

She added: “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 emphasising the commitment of all members of society to preventive measures.

“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.”

Dr Farida also announced that a national awareness campaign has been launched for the vaccination drive. The campaign aims to provide all necessary information to the public to enable them to take appropriate decisions and prevent the spread of the disease.

Residents can easily take the jab at government and private health facilities; vaccination centres; and by vehicle, an innovative method launched by the UAE to ensure procedures for receiving the vaccine are available to the largest segment of society.