Vaccines save up to 5 million lives in UAE, other GCC countries every year

Vaccinations are effective, prevent epidemics, and save five million lives in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries every year, according to the Gulf Health Council.

On the occasion of Gulf Vaccination Day, the Council revealed the importance of vaccinations in preventing many epidemics and protecting the public from the dangers of infection and death.

Importantly, some diseases no longer exist in the region due to the invention of vaccination, it said.

The UAE and the neighbouring Gulf nations have heavily focused on the healthcare sector and well-being of residents over the past few decades. This was quite evident of how the UAE handled the coronavirus pandemic and became the most vaccinated country in the world.

According to UAE’s National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (Ncema), vaccinations are the best way to defeat Covid pandemic, and the higher the level of vaccination in the community, the higher the percentage of immunity.

The Gulf Health Council stated that vaccines contribute to stopping diseases or reducing symptoms of infection, providing protection up to 99 per cent.

“Vaccines prevent approximately 3.5 to 5 million deaths each year from diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, influenza and measles, and a single dose of the MMR vaccine contributes to a 97 per cent protection against rubella,” it said.

The Council also noted that a person may need several doses over time as boosters, since some vaccines, such as those for hepatitis A and influenza, do not provide strong immunity for long.

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