ABU DHABI 21 March 2021: The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has urged all Emiratis and residents eligible for Covid-19 vaccination to start booking appointments for inoculation starting Sunday, March 21.
The six-week priority entitlement given to people who are most at risk of infection is over.
Those eligible for vaccination, including citizens and residents aged 16 and above, can now get inoculated for free in any of the 205 vaccination locations available nationwide, the ministry said in a statement last night.
The statement said it’s incumbent on those opting for vaccination to get prior booking as those who are most vulnerable to infection will continue to be received by vaccination centres without prior booking, said official news agency Wam.
The past six weeks saw a collaborative effort 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.
In the meantime, Dr. Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad bin Nasser Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, said Saturday that 72.89 percent of elderly Emiratis and residents and those with chronic diseases have been vaccinated against Covid-19 and that 56.59 percent of the eligible population have been inoculated against the disease.
In line with the ministry’s plans as well as the objectives of the National Covid-19 Vaccination Campaign, to ensure acquired community immunity, the ministry has urged all the eligible population to get vaccinated and to encourage their family members, friends and colleagues to follow suit for their common good.
The UAE has approved four Covid vaccines for emergency uses:
- Sinopharm;
- Pfizer-BioNTech;
- Sputnik V; and
- Oxford-AstraZeneca
In addition, MoHAP is constantly working to get the entire UAE population vaccinated as soon as possible.
The UAE has to date administered 7,181,056 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, at a net rate of 72.61 doses per 100 people.
2,013 new cases, 2,240 recoveries, 5 deaths
MoHAP conducted 240,035 additional Covid-19 tests, and announced 2,013 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of recorded cases in the UAE to 438,638.
MoHAP also announced 5 deaths due to complications, bringing the total number of deaths in the country to 1,433.
The ministry expressed its sincere condolences to the family of the deceased and wished patients a speedy and full recovery. It called on all members of the society to cooperate with health authorities, adhere to the instructions and physical distance to ensure the health and safety of all.
MoHAP also noted that an additional 2,240 individuals had fully recovered from Covid-19, bringing the total number of recoveries to 420,736.
