In recognition of his honesty and integrity, Dubai police awarded Ali Jamal Al Balushi with a certificate of appreciation
Bahrain has started inoculating frontline workers with a Chinese Covid-19 vaccine, state news agency BNA said on Tuesday, the latest country to take the unusual step of granting emergency approval for a shot before finishing safety and efficacy tests.
The programme will use a shot developed by Chinese state-owned pharmaceutical company Sinopharm, which is in Phase III trials in the UAE, Egypt, Bahrain and Jordan, BNA said.
Bahrain's Health Minister Faeqa bint Saeed Al Saleh said on Tuesday, in comments carried by BNA, that the use of the vaccine complies with the country's regulations on exceptional licensing in emergency cases.
"The results of Phase I and Phase II clinical trials showed the vaccine is safe and effective," she said, adding that Phase III trials were going smoothly and without serious side effects.
Around 7,770 people have so far volunteered in the Phase III trials in Bahrain and have received a second dose, the minister added.
The move is likely to stir a debate in the scientific community about the potential risks of vaccinating people before formal tests for efficacy and safety are finished, as governments scramble to tame the pandemic and revive struggling economies.
"If vaccines are to be rolled out before formal approval and licensing, there needs to be a clear appreciation of the risk/benefit ratio," said Eleanor Riley, a professor of immunology and infectious disease at Britain’s University of Edinburgh.
Anyone getting inoculated in these circumstances should be made aware of the risks and monitored for side-effects, she said.
Russia in August become the first country in the world to grant regulatory approval to a coronavirus vaccine, launching a mass inoculation scheme after less than two months of human testing.
Tuesday's move by Bahrain comes after the UAE in September authorised similar emergency use of the same vaccine for frontline workers at high risk of infection with the new coronavirus.
In July China launched its emergency use programme for three experimental shots, including the Sinopharm one just as its Phase III trials began.
Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence and cloud computing company Group 42 (G42) which is handling the trials in the Middle East said last month the vaccine had been administered to more than 31,000 people across the four countries.
Several ministers and senior officials have already received the vaccine in both the UAE and Bahrain, including Bahrain's crown prince.
The UAE and Bahrain have pursued ties with China, seeking capital and technology to diversify their economies away from hydrocarbon revenues.
In recognition of his honesty and integrity, Dubai police awarded Ali Jamal Al Balushi with a certificate of appreciation
Strong demand is outpacing supply at a faster rate this year than estimated, especially after the UAE’s removal from FATF Grey List
The initiative is expected to boost public transport usage
Authorities urged people to wear face masks and glasses when doing outdoor activities
In 10 years, all operations of Dubai International Airport will be transferred to Al Maktoum International
The meeting saw the formation of four technical committees, one for roads and infrastructure, one for houses and properties, one for dams and water facilities, and one for energy and water
Distance learning also implemented due to nationwide transportation strike
For prospective investors, it is worth considering if a future home would be rain-resilient enough to sustain any weather changes