UAE to offer 3rd shot to people who took Sinopharm vaccine
Dubai, May 18 (EFE).- A booster shot of the Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine will be offered to people in the United Arab Emirates who have been inoculated with the Chinese jab, health authorities announced on Tuesday.
“As part of the UAE’s proactive strategy to provide maximum protection for society, an additional supportive dose of Sinopharm is now available for people who have received the vaccine previously and who have completed more than 6 months since the second dose,” the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority said on Twitter.
Elderly people suffering from chronic diseases are being prioritized for the third dose.
Until now, the country has administered a third shot to individuals who had not developed antibodies after receiving the second jab of the vaccine.
Although the UAE got its vaccination campaign underway in early December, daily cases increased to 4,000 in early 2021.
The number of new cases, however, has fallen steadily since, declining to 1,270 on Tuesday.
Overall, the country has administered over 11.4 million in a rollout that also has offered includes the two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca.
Some 73.88 percent of eligible groups aged 16 and older had so far been inoculated, and above 80 percent for the over 60s, according to the health ministry.
The ministry has also approved the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for the age group between 12 and 15. EFE
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