UAE begins distribution of locally made COVID-19 vaccine Hayat-Vax

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The UAE announced on Monday that the distribution of Hayat-Vax began in the country.

“We are pleased to announce the start of distribution of the "Hayat-Vax" vaccine in the  UAE, marking the start of a historic stage for vaccine manufacturing in the country,” authorities said during the weekly briefing on virus situation.

The vaccine is also being approved in other countries and is in the process to get necessary accreditation worldwide.

This is considered as a strategic step in raising the efficiency of the health sector infrastructure and developing local and national capacities in the field of biotechnology.

Regarding the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness in limiting the spread of the disease, the UAE has contributed in providing all vaccine data to support the decision.

 “We take the opportunity to send a letter of appreciation to the workforce behind the clinical studies for their outstanding efforts to reach the final approval of the vaccine,” the UAE Health Ministry said.

The vaccine has also proven to be effective in many countries worldwide that have participated in its clinical trials at various stages.

“Last week, we witnessed the announcement of the Sinopharm Vaccine approval by the World Health Organisation after reviewing the studies conducted,” authorities said.

The UAE has been proactive to use Sinopharm Vaccine after conducting assessment at the local level, the vaccine proved to be effective and safe. Moreover, it has important features such as easy transportation and storage.

Like most vaccines manufactured for other diseases, Sinopharm vaccine was conventionally manufactured based on an inactive virus. So, this gives a greater safety and efficacy percentage to protect against dangerous complications.

The UAE affirms that it is keen on adopting the best available vaccines and medical treatments, because people and their health are its priority.

“We would like to point out that there are no studies on the safety of diversification between more than one vaccine at the present time, as more future studies are required,” it said.