On Wednesday, the Health Ministry of the United Arab Emirates revealed that the coronavirus vaccine developed by Chinese company Sinopharm has proven to be 86% effective in protection against COVID 19. The ministry has announced that it has registered for the vaccine.
This decision comes after the promising results seen from the late-stage trials that the Chinese company has been conducting in the UAE and several countries.
“The announcement is a significant vote of confidence by the UAE’s health authorities in the safety and efficacy of this vaccine,” the health ministry said.
31,000 volunteers across 125 nationalities of the country were involved in the trials conducted for this vaccine. Trial results have shown “no serious safety concerns,” the health ministry stated. While detailed data is yet to be made available to the general public, reports say that the Chinese company is still in the process of its late-stage clinical trials.
What UAE’s next move would be in the development of the vaccine could be a wait-and-watch scenario. The health ministry has not revealed its next steps yet and it is unclear whether it has plans to deploy the Sinopharm vaccine throughout the country. However, the ministry confirmed on Tuesday that 8,260 new cases COVID-19 have been reported in the country, which could push towards accelerated efforts.
According to a press release, Morocco also has plans to implement an immunization program and aims to get at least 80% of its adult population vaccinated with the Chinese vaccine.
UAE’s approval and registration of the vaccine follows the United Kingdom’s announcement its countrywide immunization program. A day before the UAE announcement, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration revealed that the coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech has shown “no specific safety concerns” that could preclude an approval for its emergency use. This announcement clears the path for a possible launch that is expected in late December.
