Video: Top UAE health ministry officials to get COVID-19 vaccine

Dubai: Top officials of UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) have been administered the COVID-19 vaccine soon after all frontline health care workers were given the vaccine in line with the health ministry’s goal to cover all health care workers with the vaccination scheme.

The health ministry officials who received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccination were Dr Youssef Al Serkal, Assistant Undersecretary for the Hospital Sector and Director-General of the Emirates Health Services Corporation, Dr Hussein Abdel Rahman Al-Rand, Undersecretary of the Ministry’s Health Assistant Sector, Health Centres and Clinics and Awad Saghir Al Ketbi, Assistant Undersecretary of the Support Services Sector among others.

After the UAE has authorised the use of the vaccine by frontline workers, MoHAP has started to give the first Covid-19 vaccine dose for the medical and nursing staff at Al Qassimi Hospital for Women and Children.

A statement issued by the Health Ministry said: “This step clearly underlines the interest and support of the wise leadership for all workers in the health sector and its commitment to providing them with the highest levels of safety.”

The Health Ministry has highlighted the UAE’s success in the clinical trials of Covid-19 vaccine, which have demonstrated the efficacy and effectiveness of the vaccine and its ability to curb the pandemic consequences. “Those who got vaccinated will be under careful and continuous medical supervision along with necessary examinations to spot any adverse effects that may arise,” the statement further said.

It is worth noting the evaluation of the vaccine for emergency use by frontline workers was based on the criteria for qualifying approvals, taking into account the target groups, product characteristics, preclinical and clinical study data, and all relevant available scientific evidence.

The health ministry has followed all measures to control the quality, safety, and effectiveness of the vaccine, including the emergency use of the product, with a scope defined by the country’s health legislation authorities, identification of the number of target groups, the dose, and vaccination system. This is in addition to monitoring and reporting negative effects and providing information supportive of safety, efficacy, and manufacturing.