List of UAE-approved COVID-19 vaccines
Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, the UAE government has worked tirelessly to contain the virus and achieve recovery. Thanks to the successful vaccination programme and diligent efforts of the authorities, the situation has stabilised around the country. To ensure the health and well-being of the overall community, everyone must comply with the precautionary measures, one of which is getting vaccinated. The vaccines are easily accessible throughout the country and completely free of charge. This article details the five approved COVID-19 vaccines in the UAE.
VACCINES AVAILABLE IN THE UAE
COVID-19 vaccines in the UAE are accessible to medically eligible citizens and residents throughout the country. The vaccines are administered according to the priority of the UAE’s health authorities.
Residents aged 12 and above can get the vaccines to strengthen their immunity, along with authorities making it easier to get COVID-19 booster shots for those who have already been vaccinated.
While all approved vaccines have undergone a rigorous procedure to receive the stamp of approval from the authorities, the Sinopharm and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are by far the most extensively used in the country.
Here is the list of approved COVID-19 vaccines in the UAE.
SINOPHARM
On 9th December 2020, the UAE’s vaccination programme was kicked off with the approval of China’s Sinopharm vaccine. This vaccine was created by the Beijing Bio-Institute of Biological Products, a subsidiary of China National Biotec Group, and is now available throughout the country.
The World Health Organization approved the inactive vaccination, which contains a dead version of the pathogen that causes the coronavirus, for emergency use last year in May.
In a study conducted in Abu Dhabi, the vaccine was found to be effective against death, preventing hospitalisation and admission to intensive care.
Sinopharm is recommended to be administered in a two-dose schedule, spaced three to four weeks apart. For the elderly and immunocompromised, a booster dose is given six months later.
PFIZER-BIONTECH
Authorities approved Pfizer-use BioNTech on 22nd December 2020, which has been rolled out across the UAE.
The vaccine works by injecting a substance called messenger RNA into cells (mRNA). In most cases, two doses are given with a three-week interval between jabs. A booster dose is available six months later on request.
According to the results of an ongoing trial involving 44,000 volunteers, the vaccination is still extremely effective six months after the second shot. It was noted that Pfizer BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine has a 95% effectiveness against symptomatic illness.
SPUTNIK V
In January of last year, the authorities approved Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine for emergency use. The vaccine was approved after a small-scale Phase 3 vaccine experiment involving roughly 1,000 participants in the UAE.
Gamaleya National Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology produced the shot, which has been widely used in Russia to combat the transmission of COVID-19.
The Sputnik V vaccine is based on two inactivated adenoviruses, which ordinarily infect people. Human cells create coronavirus spike proteins when the vaccine is given, thanks to the addition of genetic material.
If the person is later infected with the coronavirus, the immune response to these innocuous spike proteins protects them from the actual virus. This vaccination is divided into two doses that are given three to four weeks apart.
OXFORD-ASTRAZENECA
The authorities also approved the use of the Swedish-British Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. The vaccination is given in two doses with a recommended interval of between 8 and 12 weeks.
This vaccine works similarly to the Sputnik vaccination in that it makes the body believe it has been infected with COVID-19. It instructs the immune system on how to fight the real virus if it is infected.
Clinical trial data showed that the vaccine had 76% efficiency after the first dosage, rising to 82% after a second dose was administered 12 weeks later, according to Oxford-AstraZeneca. This vaccine is approved for residents that are 18 years or older.
MODERNA
Initially, health officials stated that the Moderna vaccine had been given emergency registration, making it the most recently approved of the COVID-19 vaccines in the UAE. Now, it is widely used for the prevention of coronavirus.
This vaccine, like Pfizer-BioNTech, is based on mRNA technology and contains genetic instructions for cells to produce coronavirus spike protein. This vaccine is administered in two doses delivered 28 days apart to residents aged over 18.
With a 94% success rate, the shot is one of the most effective ways to combat the coronavirus and keep patients out of the hospital.
FAQS
HOW TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE COVID-19 VACCINATION?
You can book an appointment for your vaccines through the COVID-19 UAE app that the Ministry of Health and Prevention provides. You can also book your appointment through the DHA or SEHA apps.
If you live in Dubai, you can even book a COVID-19 vaccination appointment on WhatsApp.
WHO IS EXEMPT FROM THE COVID-19 VACCINE?
Those exempt from getting the COVID-19 vaccination include people infected by the virus, pregnant women, those with a record of being severely allergic to vaccines and children under the age of 16.
That concludes our guide on the approved COVID-19 vaccines in the UAE. If you are getting ready for your vaccine, make sure to check out the eligibility rules for the COVID-19 vaccine.
If you have received your vaccination shots, you should get your vaccination certificate in the UAE to be exempt from restrictions.
