Sinopharm Vaccine UAE and Dubai
https://blog.wego.com/sinopharm-vaccine-uae/
The United Arab Emirates kicked off its mass COVID-19 vaccination program in mid-December with the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine. By now, it has also approved three more vaccines for emergency use- Pfizer/BioNTech, Sputnik V, and the latest addition to the list, Oxford/AstraZeneca.
Following the clinical trials and the voluntary vaccination program, we take a closer look at the Sinopharm vaccine, its results, price, side effects and more, as it is rolled out to millions of people.
Here is everything you need to know about the Sinopharm vaccine in the UAE.
How does the Sinopharm vaccine work?
There are currently three prevalent types of vaccines being developed in regards to COVID-19. In layman’s terms, these are inactivated virus vaccine, weakened virus vaccine and mRNA vaccine.
Sinopharm relies on the older but tested technology, which involves taking an inactivated form of the virus to stimulate the body’s immune response.
After being vaccinated with two doses, residents and Emiratis, who do not develop enough antibodies against Covid-19, could receive a third booster dose of Sinopharm vaccine. The modified third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine should boost antibodies development and lead to a better immune response against variants of the virus as well.
How effective is the Sinopharm Vaccine?
Based on the available data, the Sinopharm vaccine is reported to have 100 percent protection from moderate and severe forms of Covid-19. Its overall efficacy rate is 86 percent.
Dr. Walid Zaher, chief research officer and vaccine project leader of G42 Healthcare said that taking the vaccine will “prevent you completely from having any severe or moderate side effects from Covid-19.” The UAE has now administered more than six million coronavirus vaccine doses. Most of these have been the Sinopharm vaccine. With the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine being rolled out in Dubai as well, the UAE will see more and more of its residents getting inoculated in the coming weeks.
As per MOHAP, Sinopharm-CNBG’s interim analysis of the phase III trials of Chinese-made Sinopharm’s COVID-19 vaccine, it has:
- 86% efficiency against COVID-19 infection
- 99% seroconversion rate of neutralizing antibody
- 100% effectiveness in preventing moderate and severe cases of the disease.
Are there any known side effects?
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention has released an official statement stating no serious safety concerns have been reported. However, it’s important to note that neither Sinopharm nor the UAE has released detailed data on the trial of 31,000 participants.
Sinopharm Vaccine in the UAE
Following the emergency use authorization to safeguard the health of frontline workers in September, on 9 December 2020, the United Arab Emirates became the first country outside of China to register the vaccine manufactured by the Chinese state-owned behemoth, Sinopharm.
Who’ll get the Sinopharm vaccine first?
In the case of the Sinopharm jabs, priority will be given to citizens and residents aged 18 and above, particularly, the elderly and those suffering from chronic diseases.
The vaccine isn’t available to the following groups yet:
• Pregnant women
• Nursing mothers
• People with immunodeficiency diseases
• Woman planning to become pregnant within the near future (3 months from taking the vaccine)
• Children under the age of 16 years
• People with severe allergic reaction to any component in the vaccine.
For 6 weeks, from 7 February to 21 March, all the vaccination centres in the UAE will be dedicated to senior citizens, individuals with chronic illnesses like heart problems, diabetes, and respiratory diseases, and the People of Determination.
All those needing to take their second dose can do so as per their confirmed appointment.
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