With 158.24 doses for every 100 persons, UAE maintains global rank in daily vaccine doses

ABU DHABI – The UAE is addressing the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic through a solid national infrastructure and skilled human resources who are fully capable of addressing its repercussions, supported by an aware and committed community, stated Dr. Farida Al Hosani, Official Spokesperson of the UAE Health Sector.

During the media briefing on the coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Al Hosani said that the country’s health sector is continuing its efforts to achieve immunity in the society by offering vaccine doses to eligible categories, noting that 74.5 percent of the population have received the first dose of the vaccine while 64.3 percent have received two doses.

The UAE, which has maintained its leading global rank in daily vaccine dose distribution with a rate of 158.24 doses for every 100 persons, after providing nearly 15.5 million doses, has been operating since the start of the pandemic based on a proactive strategy aimed at ensuring the health and safety of the community, through the collaboration of all relevant national authorities, drafting appropriate plans, supporting vital sectors and reinforcing the capacities of the health sector, she added.

“In recent days, we have witnessed a decrease in infections in the country, which underscores the capacity of the health sector and relevant authorities to contain the spread of the virus, amidst the implementation of early detection approaches and rapid response,” she said.

“The UAE has crowned its significant efforts by establishing comprehensive and advanced national health systems to examine and treat COVID-19 cases, inaugurating specialist hospitals and equipping medical centres to treat patients according to the highest international standards.”

Academic studies are continuing to monitor the efficiency of vaccines and their effects on vaccinated people, she added, noting that it is highly important for those vaccinated to take an additional dose to help contain the virus and curb its spread.

“We advise those eligible to have the vaccine to take an additional dose after consulting with relevant physicians, to support the national efforts to address the pandemic and ensure the community’s health and security. We also urge unvaccinated people to take it urgently to protect themselves and everyone,” she explained.

She also affirmed that the best defence against pandemics and communicable diseases is to have a strong healthcare system based on community participation, in addition to having an aware community that adheres to the instructions of health authorities.

Speaking about the EDE technology for detecting COVID-19 infections, Dr. Al Hosani explained that it is a safe, fast and innovative way to remotely detect an infection without the need to take samples.

“Pilot stage results have shown the efficiency of this method, as over 20,000 people were subject to examinations with EDE scanners and the result was 93.5 percent in terms of the test’s sensitivity, underscoring its accuracy,” she added.

Dr. Al Hosani urged the entire community to collaborate and adhere to the preventive measures by wearing facemasks, avoiding crowded areas and sanitising while calling on those wishing to travel to check and follow the requirements of their destination countries.

Source: WAM