Approval has been given by the UAE government for a COVID-19 vaccine to be administered on frontline workers including doctors, nurses and police.
It was announced on Monday by Abdul Rahman Al Owais, the Minister of Health and Prevention, that the findings from the recent clinical trial – which was officially recognised by the World Health Organisation – were promising.
According to Al Owais, the results from the final stages from phase III of the trial, which began on July 16, showcase that the vaccine generates antibodies to the virus and seems to be effective.
“The vaccine’s safety has been reviewed and results show it is safe for use,” Al Owais also said.
Speaking in further detail about the clinical trial, principal investigator and chairperson of the National Clinical Committee for Coronavirus, Dr Nawal A-Kaabi thanked the some 31,000 people that took part in the trial.
She noted that the initial results are “encouraging”, but that studies will be ongoing.
“The initial results are encouraging in terms of the presence of antibodies in the body,” Dr Al Kaabi said.
