Abu Dhabi: Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, has received the COVID-19 vaccine, it was announced on Wednesday.
Speaking on the occasion, Sheikh Nahyan said the UAE, with the guidance and support of its leadership, had demonstrated during the pandemic its ability to deal efficiently with the repercussion of COVID-19, Wam reported.
The COVID-19 vaccine has been developed by Chinese pharmaceutical giant, Sinopharm China National Biotec Group. Phase III trials were kicked off in July, and by August 31, when registrations were closed, more than 31,000 residents from 125 nationalities had signed up. Following encouraging preliminary results, including no major side effects in about 1,000 volunteers with chronic diseases, the UAE granted emergency approval in September for the vaccine’s use on frontliners.
A number of other senior officials, including the Minister of Health, Abdulrahman Al Owais, and Noura Al Kaabi, UAE Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, and Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, have also received the COVID-19 vaccine this month.
Final Phase III trial results are still pending.
