UAE Offers Third COVID-19 Vaccine Dose

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced it would offer a third dose of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine six months after their initial two-dose regimen was administered. This announcement reported by SCMP on May 19, 2021, appears to make the UAE the first country to introduce the COVID-19 booster dose formally.

The UAE became the first country to manufacture its own local version of the Sinopharm vaccine, Hayat-Vax.

Sinopharm's COVID-19 (BBIBP-CorV) is an inactivated vaccine made of virus particles grown in culture and lack disease-producing capability. This vaccine works by teaching the immune system to make antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 beta coronavirus. 

On May 18, 2021, the UAE's Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) announced that it conducted 202,184 additional COVID-19 tests over the past 24 hours.

In a statement, the Ministry stressed its aim to continue expanding the scope of testing nationwide to facilitate the early detection of coronavirus cases and carry out the necessary treatment. As part of its intensified testing campaign, the MoHAP announced 1,270 new coronavirus cases.

According to the Ministry, the infected individuals are from various nationalities, are stable, and receive the necessary care.

The MoHAP also announced four deaths due to COVID-19 complications, bringing the total number of deaths in the country to 1,637 during the pandemic.

Locate in Dubai, the Ministry's mission is 'To enhance community health by providing comprehensive, innovative, and fair healthcare services as per international standards, and performing its role as a regulator and supervisor of the healthcare sector through a modern and integrated health legislative system.'