UAE’s research over vaccine in good health

At a time when the search for a potentially effective vaccine to cure coronavirus-infected people is proving elusive, a young country in the Middle East is making big headway in the search for a remedy. The move by the UAE to authorise an emergency use of COVID-19 vaccine for health workers on the frontlines is right and truly welcome.

Making the vaccine available for frontliners is part of the country’s measures to keeping the health of health workers as risk-free as possible, particularly when one weighs it against the fact that they are the ones who are on the edge of the precipice of good health and could any moment keel over to the dreaded disease.

The UAE is currently conducting Phase III clinical trial of the Covid-19 inactivated vaccine. Results from the final stages of the third phase confirmed that the vaccine is safe and effective, resulting in a strong generation of COVID-19 antibodies.

Abdulrahman Bin Mohammed Al Owais, the UAE’s Minister of Health and Prevention, stressed that the emergency use of the vaccine was fully aligned with the regulations and laws that allow a faster review of licensing procedures.

“The studies related to the safety of vaccination are conducted under the strict supervision of medical teams. Health authorities are following procedures to control the quality, safety and efficacy of the vaccine,” said Al Owais.

The vaccine was tested with the help of 31,000 volunteers from 125 nationalities. Volunteers have displayed minor side effects, expected as a result of any vaccine, including headaches, fatigue and slight pain in the injection area. What is heartening to note is that the UAE health authorities confirmed that 1,000 volunteers with a history of chronic illness haven’t experienced any complications after taking the vaccine.

The initial successful results of the vaccine mark the UAE’s positive steps in the vaccine development process.

The vaccine is provided optionally to health workers in direct contact with COVID-19 patients.

The UAE’s vaccine trials are part of the extensive measures that the UAE has taken to contribute to the global collective efforts to curb COVID-19 pandemic that has posed the greatest public health emergency in modern history.

So far, the UAE has conducted over 8 million tests and recorded no new fatalities in the last 48 hours.

The vaccine was evaluated based on approval qualification criteria for emergency use, in accordance with the declaration of the global health authorities surrounding an emergency, the availability of scientific evidence on the effectiveness of the product and the benefits outweighing the risks.

The emergency use takes into account the target groups, product characteristics, clinical and pre-clinical study data and population study.

Health authorities are working closely in collaboration with the vaccine developers to monitor the progress of the vaccine and follow necessary safety measures to control its quality, safety and efficacy.

According to a recent report, the US could ready a COVID-19 vaccine for distribution as early as late October. However, political fortunes could be at stake here, as the vaccine is likely to make an appearance just ahead of the November election. President Donald Trump’s handling of the vaccine is likely to be a major factor among voters deciding whether he wins a second term.

Even though the stakes are high for Republican Trump, who is squaring off against former Vice President Joe Biden on Nov. 3, there is no political pressure on the US Food and Drug Administration to quickly approve a vaccine, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said.

Trump has committed billions of federal dollars to rapidly develop vaccines against the virus, which has killed more than 185,000 people in the United States. Critics have said Trump’s lack of leadership on the pandemic has contributed to the world’s highest coronavirus death toll.