UAE in the vanguard of vaccine trials globally

Clearly, the UAE is taking no chances with the coronavirus, which has turned out to be a leviathan of a disease. In this connection, already 31,000 vaccinated volunteers from more than 120 nationalities have opted to take part in the first Phase III trials of an inactivated vaccine for COVID-19 –all in only six weeks.

The participants are among the largest in the world in volunteer recruitment.

The speed and efficiency of volunteer registration, screening and vaccination is setting new global benchmarks for the 4Humanity trials of the inactivated vaccine developed by Sinopharm CNBG, a world leading vaccine manufacturer. The trials are being managed by the Abu-Dhabi based, G42 Healthcare, in partnership with the Department of Health — Abu Dhabi, the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHaP) and Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, SEHA.

As the trials move forward thousands of volunteers have already received their second shot of the vaccine and will continue to undergo regular monitoring and health checks, with full ongoing support provided by the health services to ensure their well-being.

Reaching this volunteer milestone means that the vaccine centres at ADNEC and Al Qarain Centre in Sharjah are now closed to new volunteers but remain open for individuals taking their second shot of the vaccine and for other health check-ups required as part of the programme.

This is according to approved protocol and timelines set for individual volunteers who are participating.

Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al Hamed, Chairman of DoH, said: “This achievement would not have been possible without the support of our wise leadership and its continuous support of scientific research in the healthcare sector. This indeed is an accomplishment in the field of healthcare and will place our country at the forefront of global research efforts to confront this pandemic.”

The statistics of the toll that this disease is taking on people are alarming. Over 25 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus the world over and 847,965 have died, according to a Reuters tally published on Tuesday. Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December.

Of particular concern is India, where the death toll rose by 819 on Tuesday to 65,288.

India, the world’s second most populous nation, has been reporting the highest single-day caseload in the world every day for more than three weeks, and is the third worst-hit country behind the United States and Brazil.

Under such circumstances, the UAE government is making full-frontal efforts to stem the impact of the pandemic. Fatalities have been very low, sometimes none at all. The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Monday announced 541 new coronavirus cases along with 331 recoveries. Two deaths were also reported.

Recently, the Sharjah Directorate of Human Resources, SDHR, announced the expansion of the scope of COVID-19 testing for Sharjah government employees and their families, as part of the early detection of the virus, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Prevention, represented by the Sharjah Medical District and the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, SEHA.

The free tests will target all employees, including Emiratis and residents, who work in the Sharjah government’s different departments, bodies and institutions, and their families, at the testing centres in Expo Centre Sharjah and the Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club headquarters.

Dr. Tariq Sultan Bin Khadem, Member of the Sharjah Executive Council and Chairman of the Sharjah Human Resources Directorate, SHRD, has praised the leadership of His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, aiming to ensure the health of all the government’s employees, including UAE citizens, residents and their families, and provide the best levels of healthcare to protect the safety of the people.