UAE: 36,762 Covid vaccine doses administered in 24 hours

The UAE has administered 36,762 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 stand at 22.1 million.

This takes the rate of doses to 223.96 doses per 100 people.

In a new study by Yale’s Akiko Iwasaki, the Waldemar Von Zedtwitz Professor of Immunobiology, it was found that intranasal vaccination provided broad-based protection against heterologous respiratory viruses in mice.

The research has been published in the ‘Science Immunology Journal’.

“The best immune defence happens at the gate, guarding against viruses trying to enter,” said Iwasaki, senior author of the study.

Mucous membranes contain their own immune defence system that combat air- or food-borne pathogens. When challenged, these barrier tissues produce B cells which in turn secrete immunoglobin A (IgA) antibodies.

Meanwhile, Switzerland may have to impose another limited lockdown to break the momentum of rising coronavirus cases that threaten to overwhelm its healthcare system, the government said on Friday.

"This is really a critical phase. The trends are going in the wrong direction," Health Minister Alain Berset told reporters in Bern as the cabinet launched consultations with regional authorities and social partners on the way forward.

The government said it may expand the requirement for proof of vaccination or recovery from the virus for access to many indoor venues, which would leave out unvaccinated people even if they have negative test results.

• UAE