UAE launches Covid vaccine for children aged 3-17

United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched Covid-19 vaccines for children aged 3 to 17.

Key Points

• UAE will administer China’s Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine to children aged 3-17.
• This decision was taken after clinical trials and extensive evaluations. As per authorities, trial was monitored for immune response of 900 children.
• UAE is among world’s highest immunisation rates. It was already providing Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children aged 12-15.
• UAE has started manufacturing  this covid-19 vaccine for Children under a joint venture between Sinopharm and Abu Dhabi-based technology company Group 42.

Vaccination in UAE

As per health ministry of UAE, 78.95% of population of 9 million have received one vaccine dose while 70.57% have been fully vaccinated.

Covid-19 cases in UAE

UAE registered 1,519 new coronavirus infections on August 1 taking total tally to 682,377 cases and 1,951 deaths.

BBIBP-CorV Vaccine

This vaccine is also known as Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine. It is one among two inactivated virus COVID-19 vaccines that were developed by Sinopharm’s Beijing Institute of Biological Products. Vaccine’s Phase III trials were completed in Argentina, Egypt, Bahrain, Morocco, Peru, Pakistan and United Arab Emirates (UAE) on some 60,000 participants. BBIBP-CorV was developed using similar technology as CoronaVac and Covaxin. Its product name is SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero Cell).

Efficacy of Vaccine

As per phase III trials in United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, BBIBP-CorV vaccine is 78.1 percent effective against symptomatic cases while 100 percent effective against severe cases.

Which countries are using this vaccine?

BBIBP-CorV is being used by several countries in Asia, Africa, South America and Europe.

BBIBP-CorV in COVAX

World Health Organization approved this vaccine for use in COVAX on May 7, 2021. Sinopharm signed purchase agreements of 170 million doses from COVAX.

Month: Current Affairs - August, 2021