COVID-19: UAE announces new Sinopharm vaccine as booster jab
People completed 6 months after taking two or three doses of Sinopharm can have booster
Abu Dhabi: The UAE has announced that the Sinopharm CNBG's new recombinant protein vaccine can be given as a booster shot for people aged 18 years and above if a person completed six months after taking two or three doses of Sinopharm.
The announcement was made by the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) during its weekly media briefing on Tuesday.
NCEMA also announced that Sinopharm CNBG's new recombinant protein vaccine can be given as a booster shot for people aged 18 years when they complete six months after taking two or three doses of Sinopharm.
The Sinopharm CNBG's new recombinant protein vaccine demonstrated an improved immune capacity against the SARS-CoV-2 variants, with a high safety rate that allows rapid production and easy storage and distribution, NCEMA confirmed,
The authority reiterated the importance of taking the booster shot of COVID-19 vaccine to contain the coronavirus pandemic, particularly in view of the spread of the Omicron variant.
The emergency use of the Sinopharm’s new recombinant protein vaccine has already been approved by the Ministry of Health and Prevention, following the strict monitoring and evaluation of the data of the study conducted in the UAE.
The ministry affirmed that the emergency use of the new vaccine is in full compliance with the regulations and laws for a faster review of licensing procedures.
This is part of the ministry's painstaking efforts, in cooperation with health authorities, to enhance the prevention of community members from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study included individuals who were previously vaccinated with two doses of the Sinopharm CNBG's inactivated vaccine. The seroconversion rate was up to 100% of neutralizing antibodies, along with high safety rates and no side effects recorded among all the participants.
The ministry also confirmed that 30,150 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were given in the last 24 hours, bringing total doses 22,536,846, with a distribution rate of 227.87 doses per 100 people, 100 per cent of the population receiving the first dose and 91.80 per cent are fully vaccinated.