COVID-19 vaccine available for all UAE residents

All Emiratis and residents eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine are being urged to book inoculation appointments from March 21, following the end of the six-week prioritisation for those most at risk.

Citizens and residents aged 16 and above, can now get inoculated for free in any of the 205 vaccination locations available nationwide, the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) said in a statement.

But it emphasised they must make appointments beforehand because people in the vulnerable categories will continue to be received by vaccination centres without prior bookings.

Over the last six weeks, a collaborative effort has been made by all health departments to prioritise those most at risk of infection, including the elderly and people with chronic diseases, such as heart, diabetes, and respiratory illnesses.

Dr Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad bin Nasser Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, said that 72.89 per cent of elderly Emiratis and residents and those with chronic diseases have now been vaccinated against COVID-19, and 56.59 per cent of the eligible population have been inoculated.

In line with the Ministry's plans as well as the objectives of the National COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign, to ensure acquired community immunity, MoHAP has stressed the need for everyone who's eligible to get vaccinated and to encourage their family members, friends and colleagues to do the same for their common good.

The UAE has approved four vaccines Sinopharm, Pfizer-BioNTech, Sputnik V, and Oxford-AstraZeneca for emergency use.

In addition, MoHAP is constantly working to get the entire UAE population vaccinated as soon as possible.

To date, the UAE has administered 7,181,056 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, at a net rate of 72.61 doses per 100 people.